


Nuisance Next Door

by MissLightBright



Series: Nuisance Next Door [1]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Universe - High School, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, FrostIron - Freeform, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Loki Needs a Hug, M/M, Odin's A+ Parenting, Teen Romance, Tony Stark Has Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-02
Updated: 2014-07-23
Packaged: 2018-01-14 06:26:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 35
Words: 78,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1256191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissLightBright/pseuds/MissLightBright
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Avengers High School AU. Loki was perfectly fine by himself- dealing with Odin, being an outcast, avoiding Thor. It was all easy. What wasn't easy was Tony Stark's sudden presence in his life. Who the hell does he think he is?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Support Group

**Author's Note:**

> This story is also available at https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10116706/1/Nuisance-Next-Door

“Loki!” Odin hollered from down the hall for the third time that night. 

With a jolt, Loki snapped his laptop shut and shoved it back onto his desk before turning to the window. Slipping his fingers under the bottom of the window, he threw it open, exposing the warm air of the August evening.

Footsteps pounded down the hallway, making their way towards Loki’s room on the end. Loki’s heart stuttered. In a flash, he swung his legs out onto the sill and pulled his body through to stand on the small ledge of the roof. Just as Odin’s fist began to pound the door, Loki was already gone, slamming the window shut and diving away from the window.

Taking light steps, Loki balanced his way across the rickety roof. The well-worn shingles creaked under his weight as he made his way to sit in the spot between his room and Thor’s. But then he paused. “Thor, what are you doing up here?” he asked, casting a glare at his brother who was already sitting on his spot.

Looking up, Thor offered him a small smile. “I assumed you would enjoy the company, brother.” He held out a mug of towards Loki which Loki took gingerly.

“Hot chocolate in August? Really, sometimes I wonder if you are brain-dead.”

“It’s for comfort,” Thor replied, looking mildly offended. Loki reluctantly sat down beside his brother and took a sip of the piping hot drink, smiling discreetly into the cup at the familiar sweet taste. “What did you do to father this time?” 

“I didn’t do anything,” Loki replied broodingly. Odin’s shouts were still loud enough to be heard through the windows and Loki drew his knees into his chest. “Well, I wasn’t trying to do anything this time.”

Thor scooted his way closer to Loki but didn’t dare to touch him. For this, Loki was grateful. They listened in silence as Odin continued to holler but soon their mother, Frigga, joined the fray, yelling right back at him. In was strangely sobering to listen to their parents fight. It was a normal affair in their household, but it was unnerving nonetheless.

“Loki,” Thor whispered.

“Shut up,” he hissed back, straining his ears to hear their words. He swore he had heard his name. 

“Loki, what did you do?

Loki looked back his brother, ready to snap when he saw the look on Thor’s face. It was his look of pure protectiveness that could only be of an older brother. Loki frowned. “I don’t need to be protected, Thor,” he said, trying to keep his voice low. 

They stared at each other in the dark, both clutching at the cooling drinks in their hands. 

Suddenly, a light went on in the house across from them and the brothers looked up in surprise. That house had been empty for months since the old lady who owned had passed away. The two watched as a boy entered the room, one they’ve never seen around their small town; a brown-haired boy with a strong jaw. He held a stack of two boxes and he threw them down on his bare bed in a heap. Then he glanced up, freezing when he saw the two watching him through the window.

Loki looked at Thor, not knowing what to think, as the boy approached the window and opened it. “Hello, strange people outside my window.” 

“Hello,” Thor stated slowly. Loki remained silent, narrowing his eyes.

“What… uh… what are you doing out here?” he asked, looking at the two in confusion.

“Spying on you, obviously,” Loki deadpanned. 

Thor elbowed Loki before smiling at the guy. “Ignore my brother, he over-exaggerates. I’m Thor and this is Loki.”

“Tony Stark,” he replied, leaning against the window sill. 

“Well, if you don’t mind, Stark,” Loki said, waving him away from the window. He didn’t feel like dealing with an idiot at this time of night. 

Tony only stared at him, unaffected. Loki glared back for a split second before turning to Thor, “I’m going back inside.”

“Brother, no,” Thor urged, latching onto Loki’s arm to stop him from moving.

Silence settled for a moment while Tony looked at them curiously. A bout of shouts rose up from inside the house and Loki could see the realization hit Tony. “Oh, bad parenting?   
I know how that is.”

“Sorry, I didn’t realize that we were starting a support group,” Loki snapped before wrenching his arm from Thor and dumping the reminder of the hot chocolate into the bushes below. He stood, not looking back, and made his way to his window a few steps away.

“Sorry about him,” Loki heard Thor say.

That irked him entirely too much. Thor was always apologizing for him, as if he were some embarrassment. Jerking the window open, Loki threw the mug onto the floor and slipped inside. 

The yelling was much louder inside, and Loki felt himself snap. Seething, he marched to the door and flung it open to reveal Odin and Frigga standing in front of his room. “What have I done to disappoint you this time, father?” Loki asked with a cruel smile. “Did I stain your perfect reputation yet?”

“Loki,” Frigga warned.

“What did I tell you about getting into fights?” Odin yelled at Loki. His face was red with the unshakable anger. 

For a split second, Loki felt a small pang of fear but he pushed it aside. “Well, I learn from the best!” Loki yelled back, still smiling. It hurt to smile.

Odin took a step forward but Frigga intercepted him, holding him back from their son. Loki’s smile faded as a feeling of deja vu crept through him. “Loki, go,” Frigga said to Loki seriously, nodding at Loki’s open room.

No, not this time. Loki turned on his heel, marched down the hallway towards the stairs, and disappeared.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tony was supposed to be unpacking but instead he was leaning out a window, listening silently with Thor as Loki began to yell at his parents. Then everything went silent. Tony would have taken this as a good thing if he hadn’t seen the worry that covered Thor’s face.

“What’s wrong, blondie?” Tony asked.

“Loki is going to storm out,” he said evenly. And, as if on cue, the front door slammed and Tony spotted Loki’s mop of black hair through the dark as he headed out onto the street.

He shifted uncomfortably before looking at Thor. “Aren’t you going to go after him?”

“No, he does this often,” Thor sighed as he stood. “He’ll back before midnight.” But he moved quickly, leaving the roof without saying goodbye.

“Good night to you too.” Tony sat there, listening to the crickets and the distant cars, and felt a bout of loneliness descend around him. But he smiled a moment later when he watched Thor sneak out the front door, heading in the direction Loki went. 

Sure, their parents fought parents fought but it was more than what Tony had. He had an empty house full of boxes with only Jarvis to keep him company. Speaking of which, he pulled out his phone and said, “Jarvis?”

“Yes, sir?” the A.I. answered from his phone. 

“Do you think if we hugged it out, the three of us could be friends?”

“That would be most unwise, sir.”

Tony nodded. “I expected as much.”


	2. To Borrow A Pen

Loki was slammed so hard against the locker that he was forced to laugh. And once he started, he couldn't stop. Perhaps he was going crazy, but this whole situation was just hysterical. Last night he'd gotten yelled at by Odin for punching Clint and today here he was fighting with Fandral, on the first day of school. Odin was going to have a field day.

"Stop laughing!" Fandral hollered, grabbing Loki's collar and slamming him once again against the maroon steel lockers. Loki's head collided painfully, turning his laugh into a gasp.

The world blurred in front of Loki, but as soon as he blinked it clear, Fandral was swinging his arm backward, gearing up for a punch. Loki ducked hard, pulling his shirt out of Fandral's grasp, and Fandral's fist connected with the locker with a thundering crash.

"Shit!" Fandral cried.

"Wow, do kiss your mother with that mouth?" Loki taunted, jumping away from him, laughing again.

A murmur went through the small crowd and someone yelled, "Someone get Thor!"

Loki spun and shot Clint a glare. Of course, it would be Clint, the tattletale. "If you get Thor, I'll give you a black eye to match the other!" he said, shaking a threatening fist at him.

"Loki!" Too late. Thor was marching down the hallway, pushing through the crowd. That's it, Clint was going to get it.

"Thor, control your brother!" Fandral yelled as he shook out his injured hand. There was a bit of blood on knuckles and his eyes were flashing with unrelenting anger.

"No one controls me!" Loki said angrily. Thor was not his keeper!

"Loki, please," Thor said, grabbing Loki's arm to hold him back from Fandral. Thor rounded on Loki, standing between the two. "Why do you always do this?"

With anger overflowing, Loki pushed Thor off of him. "Why is it always my fault?"

Thor gave him the look. The one Loki hated most of all. The look of complete pity.

"Loki, Thor, Fandral!" The three looked up, suddenly faced with the school's principal, Fury. The crowd began to disperse at his sudden appearance. "My office. Now!"

Fandral shot Loki a glare, Thor sighed heavily, and the two walked ahead of him without a second glance. Loki crossed his arms, seething, but reluctantly followed.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Pepper!" Tony greeted with his arms outstretched to gather the girl into a hug.

"Touch me and you die," she replied but there was a smile on her face. The excitement was apparent. "I can't believe you're here!" She gathered him around the waist just as he was about to drop his arms and he almost suffocated at the force of it.

"Pepper, I need to breathe," he reminded, patting her gingerly on the back.

She hopped backward, grinning. "So how is the house? Did you get everything moved in?"

Tony rolled his eyes, watching the students stream around them to the front entrance of the school. "Hardly. Howard didn't bother to show up so I had to drag all of the boxes inside myself. It has to be some sort of child abuse." He turned to the side to look over his shoulder. "He did give me a car to make up for it though." It was red. That's all Tony had cared to know about it.

"Lucky you," Pepper replied with a wry smile.

Tony clicked one of the buttons on his keys, effectively locking it, before steering Pepper towards the school. He was glad he knew someone at his new school. Pepper's parents were friends with his father. Well, no, maybe that wasn't the right word. Business partners? Whatever. All that mattered was that he has known Pepper far too long.

"What should I expect?" he asked, following the crowd through the doors and into the long hallway lines with maroon lockers.

"Our school is the same as the next," she said with an eye roll.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Loki sat in the middle, between Thor and Fandral, in the seats in front of Fury's desk. He sighed impatiently as Fury sat down across from them.

"Well?" Fury asked. "What it's about this time?"

"He was laughing at me," Fandral said, scowling.

"Laughing?" Fury said, quirking an eyebrow. Slowly, he leaned forward in his chair to rest his elbows onto the desk and clasping his hands. He raised an eyebrow. "So you're telling me that you were fighting because Loki was laughing?"

Fandral shifted uncomfortably and Loki fought to keep down a gleeful smile. "Well, no," Fandral fumbled to say.

"I know that my brother started it," Thor said. Loki whipped his head to glare at Thor. "They were both acting stupid, however, and I apologize on their behalf."

Loki slunk down lower in his chair.

Fury sighed, leaning back again. "You two, out," he said, gesturing to Thor and Fandral. The two left quickly, leaving Loki behind to face Fury himself. "What really happened, Loki?"

Loki looked off to the side, out the window. It was a sunny day. Warm. "You heard, Fandral. I laughed at him. Called him a few names…"

"We can't keep doing this."

"Seeing you every day after class last year wasn't enough. I intend on spending my junior year just the same," Loki said, mustering up a smile.

"Good, you've got it. Detention after school."

Loki nodded. "Fantastic, can I go?"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Ah, there's my locker!" Tony said approaching locker 327.

Pepper nodded. "Okay, I'll be right back. I'm going to stop at mine and I'll be right back." She walked away, leaving Tony to stare at his locker.

After a brief moment, Tony slipped his phone from his pocket. "Jarvis, what is my locker combo?"

"24, 53-" Jarvis began.

"Not out loud," Tony said just a boy went to the locker next to his own. He was tall and skinny with a brooding scowl on his face. "Strange people may hear you and want to break into my locker."

"My apologies, sir." Jarvis displayed Tony's locker combo across the screen.

"So, we're locker buddies," Tony said with a grin, turning to Loki.

Loki looked over in surprise just as he opened his locker. "We are not, in no shape or form, 'buddies.'"

Tony opened his own. "Oh, look at that," Tony said, looking at the empty space inside. "I forgot to unpack my notebooks."

Loki didn't look up from his locker, gathering his things for his first class.

"Can I borrow a pen?"

Loki slammed his locker shut, holding a notebook, and turned to Tony. "No." Then he turned on his heal and marched away, leaving Tony far behind.

"Oh come on, Loks! No need to get feisty!"

Loki disappeared into the crowd just as Tony was rejoined by Pepper. "I see you've met Loki. He's a head case."

Tony turned to Pepper and tilted his head. "Pep, you wouldn't have an extra pen on you, would you?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please review or send kudos if possible!


	3. Chemistry and Other Activities

Loki, being as smart as he was, was in advanced chemistry. And since he lived in such a small town, this meant that he was stuck in Thor's senior class. Loki loved science though, so it was the only class he didn't mind being early for.

Sitting in a seat in the furthest back corner possible, Loki watched as the seniors streamed into the classroom. If it were anything like last year, Loki would be the odd one out. Well, that was like in any class, really, but this was different. Loki was the only one allowed to be accelerated in science and the seniors generally resented him for that.

Loki rested his chin on his arms when Thor entered the room, laughing boisterously with… Fandral. Squeezing his eyes shut, he hoped he wouldn't be noticed.

"Loki!" Well, there goes that idea. Thor stomped his way down the aisle before sitting right across from Loki with Fandral in the seat in front of him. To Thor's left, Jane sat down quietly, looking at Thor, but he was too preoccupied with Loki. Loki felt for the girl, really.

"This year is going to suck," Loki breathed into his arms, slumping down lower than before.

Loki looked up at the front of the room and froze. One Tony Stark had wandered into the senior chemistry class, looking around like he belonged there. No way.

Stark turned and his eyes caught Loki's and the guy brightened. He began to make his way back towards Loki. Quickly, Loki propped his feet up, shoving them onto the seat in front of him. "Hey, Loks."

"Don't call me that."

"Saved me a spot?"

Loki narrowed his eyes. "I think you are in the wrong classroom, Stark."

"This is chemistry right?" He looked down at his schedule he had in one hand and he set a single pen down on the desk.

"Whoa, Loki is going to have competition," Fandral said, casting Loki a smug grin.

God, Loki wanted to strangle him right then but he ignored his comment to glare at Stark. "You might want to find a new seat. I'm saving this one."

"For who?" Thor asked, looking genuinely curious. "You don't have any friends."

Loki looked at his brother in exasperation. Really?

"Ah, so I am in the right place," Tony said, knocking Loki's feet from the chair and plopping down.

"Okay, everyone settle down," Mr. Coulson said, stepping into the room just as the bell rang overhead. Loki let out a sigh of relief when Stark turned his attention away to the front of the room. He didn't need him to get the impression that he and Loki were friends. "Welcome to twelfth grade chemistry! If you think you are in for an easy 'A' then you are sadly mistaken. Being a senior does not entitle you to anything even though it may feel like it." His eyes skimmed the room and stopped in Loki's corner. "In addition, we also have a new student this year."

Tony stiffened in the seat in front of Loki.

"Tony Stark, our newest and brightest junior," Coulson said, gesturing to Tony.

While Loki would normally take offense with what Coulson had just said, he was instead preoccupied with the heavy murmuring that went through the room as the kids turned to look at Tony. They were all turning to look at him.

"Tony, would you like to come to the front and tell a little bit about yourself?"

Loki couldn't see Tony's face but his tense shoulders showed that he did not want to be the center of attention. "I'd rather not," Tony started.

"Is it true that your father is Howard Stark?" someone called from the front of the room.

Well. Loki was clearly missing something. The chatter grew more excited.

"Your father is rich!"

Loki snorted at that one. If that was true, Stark was probably already aware.

"Is it true that-"

And they just kept going on and on about it and it was starting to get on Loki's nerves. Tony still looked tense and people wouldn't stop so he couldn't help when he interrupted, "Is it true that you all can't keep your god damned mouths shut?"

The classroom went silent as Loki's words. Everyone stared at him with the contempt that was a constant in Loki's life. It didn't even hurt that much anymore.

"Brother," Thor hissed under his breath in a quiet scold.

Loki didn't look at Thor or anyone else besides Coulson, waiting on the inevitable. "Loki, I will not tolerate this behavior this year as well," Coulson began.

Just on cue. Loki snapped his chemistry book shut and gathered up his things before Coulson could finish. "Yeah, yeah. Fury's office, I know the drill," Loki said. He took his things and left the room, feeling a little disappointed that he was going to miss the first day of his favorite subject.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Fury was, overall, unsurprised to see Loki in his office for the second time that day. Loki laughed, seeing the way Fury already looked exhausted with Loki's presence. "Usually I would not tolerate this type of behavior a third year in my high school but Odin is one our greatest benefactors to the school district." Fury sighed. "You will have detention after school for the full week."

Loki nodded, expecting as much.

"And I will call your father…"

Also expected.

"And you will sit out the rest of chemistry today writing an essay about what you did wrong and why you will never do it again."

Loki groaned. "An essay, really? Couldn't you just have me clean some graffiti or something?"

Fury pointed to the door of his office. "Hallway. Now."

Hopping out of the uncomfortable chair, Loki headed for the door. He made sure to slam the door extra hard for Fury.

The hallway was empty and eerily quiet but Loki didn't mind. He sat down right outside Fury's door and opened his notebook to a random page. He stared it. What was he even supposed to write? He shrugged and set to work, writing the first thing that came to mind.

I apologize for yelling at the imbeciles in Coulson's chemistry class to keep their goddamned mouths shut. They are all a bunch of idiots and it infuriates me to be forced in their presence. Couldn't they see that Stark was

Loki stopped and stared at his page. Immediately, he ripped it out and crumpled it into a tight ball before throwing it at the nearest trash can.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Lunch. Tony fell into the line at lunch and glanced around, looking for anyone he knew. There was only one lunch period at this tiny school, so perhaps he could sit with Pepper…

"Hey, you're Tony, right?"

Looking to his immediate right, Tony was faced with a tall blonde boy who was smiling at him with genuine kindness. He held his hand out to Tony who shook it awkwardly. "I'm Steve," he said. "And these two are Natasha and Clint." He gestured to the two people standing in front of Steve in the lunch line, but at Steve's words, the two turned to look at Tony.

"Tony Stark," he said back even they obviously knew who he was already. He slipped his hand away from Steve's.

"Oh, you're in my history class!" Natasha exclaimed, pointing at Tony. "And Pepper mentioned on the phone you were moving here."

"Pepper? You guys are friends with her?"

Steve nodded. "You should sit with us at lunch. Pepper usually sits with us too."

Tony was about to reply when he caught a glimpse of Clint's face. "Whoa, dude, what happened to your face?"

Clint's eyes flashed with anger. "It was Loki. The freak just punched me out of nowhere."

"Loki?" Tony repeated. More and more through the day, Tony had heard from multiple sources about Loki's antics and the general dislike for him, but Tony had not witnessed for himself why Loki was so hated. Loki had gotten him out of answering stupid questions in Chemistry and he was kind of grateful for that. In fact…

"Clint lives near Loki," Natasha interrupted Tony's thoughts.

"Had to deal with the asshole all summer," Clint grumbled with his arms crossed.

"I just moved in next door to Thor and Loki, actually," Tony said. "So I guess we live near each other."

"You live next to Loki?" Natasha asked with sudden interest sparkling in her eyes.

"Yeah… why?"

Clint was the first to speak. "Well, there is this rumor going around that Loki poisoned the old lady that lived in that house and now she haunts the place."

"And that's what it is," Steve said, glaring at Clint, "just a rumor."

"Come on," Tony said, looking around at the three of them. "Loki can't be that bad."

Clint laughed. "He is, believe us. You haven't been here very long but you'll find out soon enough that he is bat-shit crazy." They began to inch forward as the line finally decided to move.

"One time, Loki started a fire in one of the bathrooms! He could have burned the whole school down!" Natasha rushed to say.

Clint agreed with a nod. "And there was the time he cut off all of Sif's hair."

"I always see him standing around at the park by my house," Steve said, looking thoughtful. "My mom always says he's up to something bad out there. Probably selling drugs. Not sure if it's true though."

"I'd believe it," Clint said.

Tony didn't know what to think. What he'd seen of Loki didn't match with their version of Loki. What was real and what wasn't?

"Uh oh, guys. Tony's got that look," Natasha said, elbowing Clint.

"What look?" Tony asked.

Natasha smiled as they moved forward with the line. She grabbed a tray from the stack. "The look the new people get when anyone talks about Loki, like they want to be Loki's friend and prove us all wrong that he's not a psycho. Just trust us and save yourself the trouble."

"I'll keep that in mind," Tony said drily.

Suddenly a body pushed past Tony's back, making him stumble a little. Tony whipped his head to see who it was just in time to see Loki leaving the line and heading away from the lunch room. Shit.

"Crap, I didn't know he was standing there, did you guys?" Natasha asked, sounding worried.

"I did," Clint said with a laugh.

Natasha hit him over the head but laughed a little with him.

Tony couldn't believe it. The three of them went on as if nothing had happened; as if Loki had not just heard them bashing him. Steve did look a little guilty though.

What was wrong with this school?


	4. Rain and Tears

Loki pushed past the kids standing around the bathroom and retreated inside. What in the world was wrong with him today? He was fine not having friends, constantly getting detention, and generally pissing off the student body, but what was it about Stark that was throwing him off? As soon as the idiot had started to listen to Clint and his cronies, Loki knew that Stark was no different than the rest of them; dull and completely pedestrian.

He went to the sink and wrapped his hands around the base of the porcelain sink as he stared into the mirror. Jet black hair, dark green eyes, and a well-ingrained scowl reflected back at him.

Loki breathed out heavily and shakily. He shouldn't have let them get to him.

Suddenly the door behind him swung open and Tony appeared in the doorway. Loki stilled. That was the last person he'd expected. Loki watched Tony's reflection in the mirror as he crossed the bathroom and stopped just behind Loki.

"Need something, Stark?" His voice echoed across the bathroom tile.

Tony's eyes met Loki's in the mirror before skittering away. Loki tensed. "Just making sure you're okay and…" Tony began but he trailed off, raking his fingers through his hair uncomfortably.

Loki pried his fingers away from the sink and turned to look at Tony face-to-face. "I'm fine," he said, frowning. This was strange, why would Stark even care?

Tony's lips quirked up into a grin. "I just want to make sure you're not mad, Loks."

"Why are you even doing this?" Loki asked. "Clint and Natasha are right, you know. I'm just trouble, so… stay away from me." Loki looked him right in the eye, trying to drive his point home. He hadn't had friends in a long time and he wasn't going to start making them now. Loki only wanted to make it through high school and never have to see any of these people again.

"Hmm, I might just take that as a challenge."

"What?"

"The more everyone tells me to stay away, the more I want to talk to you."

Loki felt the hate and the rage heat up his blood. "So I'm just a game to you?" Loki seethed.

Tony's smile started to fade. "No, that's not-"

"Just stay away from me," Loki said lowly. He'd been played too many times in the past. So he pushed past Tony, heading for the exit.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tony watched Loki leave and felt extremely conflicted. On one hand, he believed Loki was someone he could be friends with but on the other, maybe he should just follow Loki's advice and leave him alone. Loki clearly had a lot of issues. But thing was, Tony felt they were alike somehow.

He left the bathroom a moment after, looking both ways down the hallways for Loki. He was already gone, lost in the small crowds still making their way to lunch.

"Tony!" Pepper called, coming to Tony's side. "Natasha said that you just ran off. I came to find you."

"Pepper, can I ask you something? What's Loki's deal?" he asked, grabbing her arm and steering her towards the cafeteria. "Why's he so prickly?"

Pepper frowned and bit her lip. "I don't know, he just is," she said shrugging. "I think it all started in…. ninth grade? He just pushed all of his friends away and started fights and is the way he is now. Did you know that Natasha and I used to be friends with him?"

Tony tilted his head questionably and she smiled back. "But that was a long time ago," she said.

"I wonder what happened to him," Tony said.

"Guess we'll never know."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After school and after an extremely boring hour of detention, Loki left the school, determined to get as far away from it as possible. He opened the front doors and groaned. It was pouring. A lone black car idled in the space at the front of the parking lot: Odin's car.

Loki's hands tightened on his backpack straps as he stepped into the downpour, immediately becoming drenched. He could feel his hair plastering disgustingly over his face.

Despite the rain, Loki took his time getting to the car just to piss Odin off even more. When he arrived, he opened the car door, threw his backpack down onto the floor of the front seat, and got in gingerly, making sure to get as much of Odin's car wet as possible. In silence, he buckled himself in and slumped down in the seat, staring straight ahead.

The car continued to idle and Loki was forced to look up at his father. "You disappointed me again today, Loki," Odin said lowly. His hands were practically white as they clutched the steering wheel.

Loki breathed shallowly as he stared at his father. Slowly, Odin turned to look at him with the most loathing glare Loki could imagine. "It wasn't my fault," Loki said.

"The fight? The outburst? All of these things could be avoided if you would just shut up for once," Odin bit out.

Loki lowered his head, feeling the water from his hair drip down off his chin.

Odin continued, "Haven't I told you to blend in? Stay quiet, keep your head down-"

"Disappear?" Loki asked, looking up again.

"Exactly," Odin agreed.

Loki turned and leaned against the window, scowling. "Maybe I should run away," he mumbled.

"Don't be ridiculous," Odin said. "Your mother would be delirious."

Loki didn't respond, glaring out the window dully. Odin switched the gear of the car and pulled away from the curb to head home. Odin continued, "I don't know what to do with you anymore. Why must always embarrass this family with your silly tantrums. It's pathetic, Loki. We don't need a mental case."

They zoomed down the road and Loki wanted nothing more to throw himself out of the car. It would be better than sitting with Odin.

Soon, they pulled into their driveway and before the car had even come to a full stop, Loki jumped out of the car and slammed the car door behind him. "Loki!" Odin called after him.

With his backpack in hand, Loki burst into the house, shedding water all floor from the rain. "Loki!" Frigga said in surprise, poking her head from the kitchen.

He couldn't look at her. Loki stomped past her and up the stairs, heading for his room on the end. Before he reached his room, the shouting started up from downstairs. Odin and Frigga were at it again and Loki realized for the thousandth time that it was his fault.

Loki dropped his backpack on the floor of his room, slammed the door shut, and kicked off his shoes. Without hesitation, Loki went to his window and threw it open. The sound of the rain drowned out his parents' shouts; it was comforting.

With a crack of lightning flashed overhead, Loki crawled out the window into the heavy rain, taking refuge in the only place he knew. He shoved the window back and balanced across the narrow ledge a few feet before sitting down on the slippery shingles. Water ran around his feet and soaked his socks.

He slowly pulled his knees to his chest as everything that happened that day came rushing back. Tears leaked from his eyes and finally, he let them fall. This was the only place he'd ever let himself cry.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tony rummaged through the boxes in his room when he heard the boom overhead as his room flashed with the sudden light. He glanced to his window and watched the rain fall across the darkened sky. He was about to go back to unpacking when he noticed Loki crawling out of his window. What was he doing out in the rain?

Tony pushed his box aside and watched Loki teeter across the roof and then flop down on the edge.

At first, it looked as if Loki were just sitting there but then Loki's shoulders began to shake. The sight froze Tony in place. This was Loki in his most vulnerable state; it felt as if her were intruding.

Creeping across the floor, he moved closer to the window to get a better look. Loki's hair was plastered to his face and he looked much like a dog left out in the rain. Tony caught a glance at Loki's scrunched-up crying face before Loki moved a hand up to cover his eyes.

"Jarvis, what do I do?" he said aloud to the A.I. in his phone, sitting on the bed.

"About what, sir?" he replied.

Tony took a step back from the window so that he wouldn't be seen by Loki. "Loks is out in the rain, crying. What do I do?"

"Well, you could interrupt him at risk of making him angry, or you could leave him alone to his own business which could be safer for the both of you."

Tony nodded, considering his options. "You know, Jarvis. I've never been one for the safe route."

He moved back out in front of the window to look at Loki. Loki had his head in both of his hands now, looking completely miserable.

Tony opened his window carefully. When it was fully open, Tony could hear the pounding of the rain and the light gasps of Loki's sobs. Thunder rolled overhead. Sighing, Tony leaned against his window sill to watch Loki. What should he say? Should even say anything at all?

"Loki," Tony said softly.

Loki froze; his cries silenced.

Tony frowned, struggling with his words. "What are you doing out here?"

No response.

"For crying out loud," Tony mumbled. He pushed himself up over the windowsill and onto his roof. Sliding a bit on the wet surface, Tony steadied himself against the edge of the house and then slid down so that he was mirroring Loki's pose.

"Look," Tony said, watching the boy intently. "You may think I'm some jerk like the other kids at school, but I'm not like that. I can see you for what you are." He let his words settle over Loki before continuing, "You don't need to tell me what's wrong or what happened because believe me, I know what it's like to be alone."

Loki slowly peeked up from his hands, his dark gaze settling on Tony. Tony swallowed and decided to remain silent. And then they just sat like that; silent in each other's company, even when it grew dark.

So when Loki finally stood to make his way back to his own window, Tony said, "I'm here whenever you need it."

Loki looked back and he looked almost hurt. "I don't need your pity." With that, he slammed his window shut and pulled the curtains shut.

"Well, shit," Tony said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please toss me a review! I'll love you forever!
> 
> ~MissLightBright
> 
> (And again, this story is also available here: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10116706/1/Nuisance-Next-Door)


	5. He's Mine

Today's goal, Tony decided, was to befriend the friendless and elusive Loki before the day was out. As he got dressed for school, Tony considered which way would be the best way, but in the end he figured it was probably best to leave it up to fate.

After throwing a red t-shirt, Tony glanced out the window, looking for any movement in Loki's room but the curtains were still drawn, revealing nothing. His eyes flickered away and he maneuvered around the piles of boxes to pick up his backpack on his way out.

He left the empty house to his car but paused just as he pushed the button to unlock his car. The Odinson's door banged shut as Loki and Thor appeared outside with Loki marching angrily away from his brother. "I told you to stay out of it, Thor!" Loki shot at Thor, turning on him. His eyes looked positively murderous and Tony felt a little bad for the guy.

"I would have stayed out of it if you hadn't brought me into the conversation, Loki!" Thor yelled back, looking just as ticked. Thor paced around Loki and unlocked the car with his remote, and continued to his side of the car.

Loki stayed where he was on the lawn but his hands curled into fists at his side. "This isn't about you!"

"Then why do I keep getting dragged into it?" Thor said, slamming a hand down on the roof of his car in frustration. "What did you even do to father to make him hate you so much?"

Oh, Ouch. That had to hurt. Tony moved slightly so that he was in better view over his car. "Sorry to interrupt," Tony started. Both brothers turned with heavy glares to look at him. "But… Loki do you want a ride?"

Thor glanced at Loki with a look of surprise but Loki avoided his gaze, holding his chin high. "You know what? Yes," Loki said in defiance. He started across the lawn and Thor rolled his eyes before disappearing into his car with a slam of his door.

Tony watched Loki approach with a grin. "Having a little tiff with your dear brother?"

"No talking," Loki said sulkily. He pulled the door open and ducked into Tony's car without another word.

"Okay then," Tony said. He moved into his own side of the car and started it, basking in the sweet roar of the new car. He looked to Loki for his reaction but Loki was looking out the window, watching his brother pull away from the curb. "Loks, you okay?"

Loki looked up. His fierce green eyes were jaded with hurt but he immediately threw up his mask of rage. "Fine, Stark, just drive."

With a sigh, Tony backed out of the driveway before following the route Thor had just taken. "So what did Thor-?"

"I don't know if you know," Loki interrupted, "but we're not friends. You don't need to talk to me." To Tony, something from Loki's words bothered him. "I don't want me bothering me constantly, okay?"

"I got it loud and clear," Tony replied, staring straight forward at the road. But, that didn't mean he would stop his pursuit. "Just concerned is all."

Silence settled over them as they drove on. It was a rare thing for Tony keep his radio off but he was waiting for something and if was right… Loki shifted uncomfortably in his seat and Tony had to hold back his grin. Tony waited a second before saying, "Are you sure you don't want to tell me?"

"Stark, would you just shut up?" Loki said, throwing his head back into his headrest.

"So you and Thor had a fight-"

"It wasn't just Thor!" Loki blew up. "It was Odin, he-" Loki snapped his mouth shut, realizing what was happening. "Just forget it."

Tony didn't want to give up, but he let it drop regardless. He didn't need Loki to hate him anymore than he did now. So he pulled into the school parking lot in silence and Loki was out the door before another word could be said.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Loki couldn't say he enjoyed Tony's constant hovering. In fact, he absolutely loathed it. At home, he was there. At school he was there. There was no place to hide! And when Loki even took the long way to chemistry, Tony even found him in the freshmen's hallway and began walking with him.

"Don't you have anything better to do than to follow me around, Stark?"

"Aren't you ever going to call me Tony?" he asked in his annoyingly cheerful tone. Loki wanted to strangle him. How can one lone person be so happy?

"Haven't you pestered me enough?" Loki was still unsure of what Tony wanted. He was being nice and nice was something Loki was not used to. Surreptitiously, Loki glanced about the room, searching for anything suspicious. "What do you really want?"

Tony stopped in front of Loki, forcing him to halt. Suddenly his face had turned serious. Loki didn't know what to make of it. "Last night," he began.

"You will not speak of last night," Loki growled out. He was mortified beyond description. Tony had seen him cry. No one has ever seen him cry! Well, at least since the ninth grade. It was degrading.

Tony tilted his head, suddenly looking tired, and casted Loki a sad smile. "Look. I'm not trying to trick you or mess with you or do whatever you think it is that I'm doing. I'm just trying to be a friend, Loks. I know what you're going through."

Loki could not believe it. "Friends?" He was shocked to the least but it wasn't a good feeling. He felt sick and miserable. "If you haven't heard, Stark, I don't do friends."

"It's Tony," he corrected. But he wasn't smiling. His eyes were searched Loki and he almost felt naked in front of Stark. Exposed.

"You're hopeless." Loki shook his head and headed to chemistry, ignoring Tony as he followed closely behind. In that moment he felt it in his bones that he would come to regret meeting Tony Stark.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

So Loki had ignored him all through chemistry, even when they were paired up for the assignment. And Loki had avoided him in the hallways and at his locker. But Tony's resolve was stronger than ever. He liked a challenge; In fact, he welcomed it. So when lunch rolled around, Tony had a plan.

Tony held his tray steadily as he scanned the cafeteria, looking for one black-haired boy in particular. His new-found friends, of course, waved him over but he ignored them in favor of the plan. Stick to the plan…

There. He spotted Loki at a table in the back of the cafeteria, the only one sitting by himself. Tony moved towards him before he realized what he was doing.

Without a warning, he dropped down in the seat next to Loki's and set his tray down with a slam, catching Loki's attention. Loki looked up with wide, surprised eyes. "What the hell, Stark?"

"Tony," he said back.

"You can't sit here," Loki hissed back, leaning towards him threateningly.

"Geez, I didn't realize I was in the middle of Mean Girls. Do you only where pink on Wednesdays?"

"I'm serious, Tony," Loki said.

While Tony should be surprised Loki had finally used his first name, he was more concerned with the scared expression that was suddenly shrouding Loki's features. Tony was sure that he'd seen all sorts of emotions from Loki, but fear was not one he had seen yet. "What's wrong?"

"I don't want to be friends with you," Loki bit out. "I don't need you to be friends okay? Right now, I just need you to leave me alone. I can protect myself."

"Protect yourself?" Tony repeated in confusion. What in the world did Loki think was going to happen?

"Just leave," Loki practically pleaded.

Loki kept getting more and more complicated, Tony realized. One moment he was fierce and mean and the next he was vulnerable and scared. Tony was getting whiplash.

"Hey, Loki! Did you get a new friend?"

Loki stiffened as a boy Tony had not seen before approached the table. Suddenly, Tony realized that most of the lunch room had plunged into silence, watching and waiting. "Bucky," Loki said evenly.

"I'm sorry, Tony, we haven't met before," Bucky said cheerfully, offering up his hand. Tony took it lightly, noticing how Loki watched them with steeled eyes.

Suddenly, two more people appeared by Bucky's side; Fandral and Sif. "I didn't realize I was getting a welcoming party," Tony replied, slipping his hand from Bucky's.

"Nah, we just wanted to save you the trouble. Loki is not friend material."

Tony was beyond pissed. "I don't remember there being rules on who I can be friends with."

"Tony's not my friend," Loki spoke up. Tony glanced at him questionably but Loki's glare told him to shut up. "Never will be."

"Good," Bucky said. He held out his hand and Sif passed him a cup. "That's all I needed to hear." He dumped the contents of the cup over Loki's head and splashed over the table. Some kind of dark soda. Tony jumped out of his seat, just narrowly avoiding the spray.

Bucky started laughing and then the other two joined in, and soon half the cafeteria was laughing. Tony glared around the lunchroom in utter surprise at their cruelty. His eyes caught Pepper's and she looked pale, not laughing. Natasha sat just as rigidly by her side.

He turned back to Loki to find him frozen in his seat. His hair dripped with the sticky mess and his clothes were soaked. "Loki," Tony whispered.

Loki stood up, painfully slow, not making eye contact with anyone. He turned and pushed past the three. He had walked only a few feet down the aisle when Thor jumped into Loki's path. "Loki! Are you okay?" Thor looked all kinds of worried and pissed.

Loki shoved Thor aside and continued his silent walk out of the lunchroom. Thor turned on his friends and his face turned red as his yells echoed through the cafeteria. Tony tuned it out; His eyes were focused on Loki as he left in complete humiliation.

Tony turned back to Thor who was hollering up a storm at Fandral and Sif. Bucky, on the other hand, just had this sick, disgusting grin on his stupid smug face. Tony grabbed Bucky's shirt, and pulled at him threateningly. "What the hell was that for?"

"You better stay away from Loki," Bucky said, not caring that Tony was twisting up his shirt. "He's mine." Tony did not like the way he said that. All possessive. It ran chills up Tony's spine.

"No, you stay away," Tony growled back. "Because the next time you mess with him, you're dead."


	6. Escape

Tony followed Loki, of course, but he was accompanied by Thor who had insisted on tagging along. Tony had the feeling that neither would be welcomed by Loki, though.

"Where do you think he went?" Tony asked, assuming that Thor would know more than him about his brother.

Thor looked conflicted for a moment. "Normally he would hide out on the roof and skip class but since he's sticky, he would want to wash it off first…"

Logical as any. Tony nodded and led the way to the bathroom he had met Loki in the day before. Hopefully he would go there again. He pushed the door open and was met with silence. Thor checked all of the stalls but they were all empty.

"Come on," Tony said, growing frustrated as he held the door open for Thor.

They walked down the silent hallways with Thor now in the lead, steering them towards a staircase Tony had never noticed before. "Do they bother him a lot?" Tony asked.

Thor nodded. "My brother has a habit of antagonizing a lot of people and, as a result, they retaliate accordingly. I try to stop my brother from causing trouble but he just won't quit and my friends won't listen to me. You cannot imagine being stuck in the middle like this. Sometimes I side with Loki and sometimes with my friends, but both options put a strain on my relationships."

They began to climb the stairs and Tony wondered distantly whether they were even allowed in this part of the school. "Do you know what Bucky meant when he said 'he's mine'? It was much too ominous for my taste."

Thor looked away quickly, looking uncomfortable. "Bucky used to be Loki's friend until Loki lashed out at him. He's had a personal vendetta against Loki ever since. It's rather unpleasant."

"What did Loki even do in ninth grade?" Tony asked. "That's where it all began, right?"

Thor paused at the door at the top of the stairs, looking conflicted. "I actually don't know. Loki won't tell me."

Thor pulled the handle and they were exposed to the hot August breeze. They stepped out onto the black floor of the roof which was way hotter than it needed to be. Loki was sitting in the nearest corner of the roof, on the edge, with his feet dangling down off the side. He was facing the baseball fields and suddenly could see why Loki would take refuge here.

The sun shown across the fields and the trees in a sparkling display of warmth and green leaves. There were birds tweeting in the nearby trees and the cicadas buzzed loud. It was soothing.

They approached Loki slowly. Tony glanced at Thor, who looked utterly calm. It seemed that he was only one nervous about Loki sitting on the edge of a fifty foot drop. "You have a thing for roofs," Tony called out, shoving his hands in his pockets.

Loki's head whipped in their direction with a ready scowl. At least he wasn't crying. Tony could hardly deal with that. "What's he doing here?" His directed his question to Thor, choosing to completely ignore Tony. His hair was stringy and still dripping.

Thor hoisted himself up onto the small wall Loki was sitting on and swung his legs over so he was sitting side by side with his brother. "He was worried, just as I," Thor explained.

Loki glanced back at Tony one more time before turning his full attention on Thor. "Your friends are insufferable."

"Yes, I know," Thor confirmed. "But I can't control them." Thor scooted closer to his brother and wrapped an arm around Loki's shoulders. Tony was surprised when Loki did not pull away.

Tony moved to a space in the wall near them and leaned against it, resting his arms up over the top. He glanced over at the brothers while he listened in on their conversation.

"You are going to be sent home, you know," Thor said. He looked absolutely concerned.

"No," Loki bit out, looking more enraged than he had in the cafeteria. "I am not going to chewed out by Odin for having to be sent home early on the second day of school."

"Well you can't go to class. The teachers will just send you away anyway and then you'll be either sent to Fury or the nurse's office and I know how you hate both."

Loki smiled wickedly. "I have a better solution."

"No," Thor said, dropping his arm from Loki's shoulders. "No, Loki, that would be even worse!"

"Can I borrow your car, brother?" Loki said playfully.

"No you cannot and you are not skipping class! It's the first week of school!"

Tony straightened up. "You can come with me." Never in his life had Tony ever skipped class but for some reason he was offering himself up. Why was he putting himself on the line for some kid he just met?

Both brothers looked to them in obvious surprise. "You're serious?" Loki asked.

Shrugging, Tony pulled out his phone. "If you want to come with, you can. I was already planning on skipping class."

Loki regarded Tony with a guarded expression but after a moment, he swung off the edge and landed back on the roof. "It's not easy getting out of here without being caught. Fury's office is by the front doors."

Tony smiled and waved his phone at Loki. "Jarvis, how long until the bell rings?"

"Three minutes and twenty two seconds, sir," Jarvis replied.

"Okay, Loks. Let's go," he said, grabbing Loki's wrist with a jerk and pulling him towards the exit.

Thor didn't even bother following them.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Loki was being tugged after Stark and he couldn't help being a little impressed. Tony was a bundle of surprises at every turn and it fascinated Loki. But that didn't make them anything close to friends, not at all.

Their footsteps echoed as they clomped their way down the stairs and into the hallway. Reaching the bottom step, Loki released himself from Tony's grip to lead the way. He knew just where to escape.

His heart was hammering, but not from the possibility of being caught. He was scared. Odin was not going to be happy. But screw it.

He glanced at Tony to find him glanced down at his phone just as they skid through the sophomore's hallway and stopped to look around the corner. "What are you doing?" Loki hissed.

"I'm tracking any movement in the hallways," he said, watching as little dots moved around a blueprint of the school.

Loki pressed in closer, trying to get a good look at it. "Cool, it's like the Marauder's Map."

Tony looked at him, frowning in confusion. "No, this is Jarvis…" They both stared, not quite understanding each other. "Come on, let's go," Tony said finally. "There's a clear path open to the entrance and Fury has just gone up to the science wing."

Before he finished talking, Loki slipped around him and shot out down the corridor on light feet. He was well practiced with disappearing but Tony, Loki realized, was not. His steps were heavy and his tromping was loud enough to make Loki cringe.

They raced down the hallway and around the corner. They had the front doors in their sight. Tony sprinted out in front of Loki and slowed by Fury's office to glance in the window, but thankfully he'd been right. Fury was gone. The two pushed out the front doors and Loki laughed, feeling the excitement of a successful escape until they ran right into Bucky.

Loki froze but glanced at Tony. He looked furious. "What are you doing here?" Loki asked Bucky, turning to him angrily.

"Waiting for you," he replied with a grin. "Though I didn't know you would bring a friend."

Loki grimaced, not knowing what to say. "Come on, Loks," Tony said, sidestepping Bucky in the direction of his car. He paused when he noticed Loki wasn't following him.

Stark didn't understand though. Bucky was pure evil and there was nothing he could do to stop him from doing what he wanted. "What do you want?" Loki asked evenly, looking his tormentor in the eyes.

"You're coming with me," Bucky said. "Not Tony." Loki glanced over at Stark's worried face before turning back to Bucky. "Remember our deal, Loki?"

Loki's face immediately heated. "You mean your deal," Loki said, shuffling his feet uncomfortably.

"Regardless, you will do what I want," Bucky said with a grin. What a jackass.

"What does he mean?" Tony said, watching Loki with narrowed eyes. "Come on. Let's just leave this jerk behind and get out of here!"

"Your boyfriend's pushy," Bucky said. "But no matter how much he moans, you're going to come with me, right?"

Loki crossed his arms and refused to look at Stark. "Yeah, I'll go with you."

"What?" Tony cried, looking incredulous at Loki's decision.

"Shut up, Stark," Loki warned. "Like I said, we're not friends."

"And you and this asshole are?" Tony almost looked hurt and Loki's heart lurched. Tony was the only one who was nice to him a long time. Well, Tony would have to learn one way or another.

"Sorry, Stark, but you just aren't worth my time." He turned to Bucky and smiled sharply. "Lead the way." Loki would do anything to keep his secret.

Bucky's grin grew and he looked over at Tony smugly before wrapping a tight arm around Loki's shoulder. Loki's skinned crawled from the bastard's touch. Bucky dragged Loki in the direction of the steps but paused long enough near Stark to say, "See, Tony? I told you. He's mine."

Loki's spine shivered as the disgust overwhelmed him. Tony's eyes seemed to reflect Loki's horror but he couldn't be sure of it. He didn't have time to dwell. Bucky was already pulling him away, down the steps, towards his old beat-up station wagon and in that moment, Loki knew that he was spiraling into another horrible chapter of his fucked up life.

Loki looked back, briefly, to gaze at Stark and he knew suddenly that he made the right decision. The concern in Tony's eyes was not something he deserved after all that he did. Tony was too good to know someone like Loki, and he was determined for it to stay that way. He vowed never to talk to Stark again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking so long to update! It's the end of the semester and the projects are piling up. UGH.
> 
> Also, I just saw Captain America 2 last night and kind of feel bad for making Bucky a douchebag in this story. Sorry Bucky!


	7. 9th Grade

When they reached Bucky's car, Loki shrugged away Bucky's arm and turned to glare at him. "You're a dick, you know that?"

Bucky laughed. "Come on, Loki. It'll be like the good ol' days," he said, gesturing to his old, beat-up green car. "You and me skipping class? We used to have so much fun together."

Loki glanced over his shoulder at the school. Tony was gone. He turned back and sighed, crossing his arms. "Look, can't we stop this charade? I said I was sorry. It's been two years and you've done enough to get your revenge so-"

Bucky grabbed Loki by the throat and slammed him into the car, holding him there painfully. "I will never forgive you for what happened," Bucky growled. His eyes were wild with the rage.

Loki clawed at Bucky's fingers instinctively as he tightened his hold. He continued, "And I won't stop messing with your life, Loki, until you understand how I feel." Finally, he released Loki and he fell to the pavement, gasping on all fours. His lungs burned.

"I'm sorry," Loki croaked. He knew he deserved Bucky's hate; it was supposed to have been him.

Bucky's face contorted, for the first time in two years, into an expression of complete loss. He was on the verge of tears. Loki could almost see his old friend in there. Scoffing incredulously before turning away. "You know what," Bucky said shakily, "I can't even look at you right now."

"Bucky…"

He didn't hear Loki. He rounded the car in a flash and disappeared into his car. It roared to life in an instant and Loki had just enough time to scoot away from it before Bucky was backing out over the space Loki had sat just moments earlier. Loki couldn't help feeling a little remorseful to see him go.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

****

9th Grade - Two Years Ago

Loki laughed, leaning back in his seat in Bucky's brand new car as he glanced at his best friend, Bucky as he drove steadily down the highway singing along to Highway to Hell as it blared from the car radio. Bucky got his license yesterday. He was official; A man of the road! Bucky had stolen his parents' new car to go on a joyride. It was shiny, black, perfect.

Cracking open a bag of Cheetos, Loki held the bag towards Bucky. "What's a better way to celebrate getting your license than driving around town after school with a bag of Cheetos?"

Bucky laughed and took a handful, shoving it all into his mouth with a cheesy crunch. "You really know how to throw a party," he shot back with a chortle.

The windows were down, letting in the fall evening air, and it whipped through their hair. "We're going to get in so much trouble when our parents find out."

"Screw them," Bucky shouted over the song. "They can handle one day of teenage rebellion."

Loki laughed as Bucky turned off the highway to head back into their small dinky town. "Where should we go next?" Loki asked, watching the fields whir by the window as they drove back towards the city limits. The sun was almost completely gone, making the drying stalks of corn glow slightly with the dim light.

Bucky shrugged. "There's nothing to do in our crappy town." Just as the words were leaving Bucky's mouth, he grinned and slammed on the breaks.

Loki lurched forward in his seat, spilling Cheetos all over the car floor. "What the hell?" Loki said.

Bucky did a tight U-turn and swung the car around and accelerated quickly, heading in the opposite direction of town. Bucky turned up the music louder. "Brace yourself, Loki. We're going on a road trip! We're going to the cities!"

"Why?" Loki hollered over the blasting stereo.

"I know a place we can go."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

They arrived in the cities close to 10pm. It took about two hours to drive to the cities from their hometown and in that time, Bucky had gotten three calls from his parents. Loki looked at his own phone. No missed calls. He thought that someone would've noticed his absence by now… but he had snuck out his window, so they might have just assumed he was reading in his room like always.

He pocketed his phone again and rested his head against the window while he turned to look at Bucky. "Where are we going again?"

"I've got a guy," Bucky said as they turned onto a quieter street, "that can get us some fake I.D.s"

Loki sat up straight, wide eyed. "What are we going to need I.D.s for?"

Bucky smirked at him. "Really? You're not that naïve, are you?"

"Well, you've told me absolutely nothing," Loki retorted. He crossed his arms and blew a few strands of black hair from his face. "And I'm only 15, there's no way I'll pass for 21."

The car slowed and they parked by the curb in front of a tall apartment building. It was dim but it wasn't dark and creepy like Loki had expected. Loki opened his door and peered around before getting out. It seemed like a decent neighborhood.

Bucky appeared in front of him, rolling his eyes. "Would you stop being a buzzkill, Loki? This will be fun."

Loki swung out of the car, glaring at Bucky. "I'm just cautious."

"You'll be fine." Bucky led him away towards the building in front of them. They climbed the front steps and stopped at the door. Bucky looked at the registry and skimmed a finger down the listings until he found the one he was looking for. He pressed the button, causing a buzzing sound, and then he waited. Seconds later, the front door unlocked.

Bucky grabbed the handle and opened it but paused to look at Loki. "It'll only take a second."

They arrived upstairs on the third floor moments later and Bucky was knocking on the door of 1398. The door opened instantly and there stood a normal looking guy. Probably in his late twenties.

"Hey," Bucky said with a smile. "Do you have it?"

The guy didn't even say anything. He just handed two I.D.s out to Bucky, who took it, and promptly closed the door on them. Bucky laughed. "My cousin's never been very sociable."

He handed Loki one of the cards and Loki looked at it in surprise. The I.D. had a picture of Loki, slightly edited, with an adjusted age and everything. "When the hell did you do this?"

Bucky pocketed his own I.D. and shrugged. "I just knew that I wanted to do this but I didn't know when. So I had my cousin make us up some fake I.D.s."

"So what are we going to do with these?" Loki asked, pushing his own I.D. into his pocket.

"We're going to a club."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

They had parked a few blocks away and walked their way to the club. The bright words "Prohibition House" glared down at them from the building in neon blue and green colors. Loki wondered briefly whether this was a bad idea after all but with one glance at Bucky's smile, he knew that he couldn't ruin this for his friend.

They got into the long line and Loki swallowed down his nervousness as the line slowly approached the door. He felt entirely underdressed and too small and young to possibly get in. Surely the bouncer would catch them before they went in?

"I.D.s," the bouncer demanded as they finally came to the front.

Bucky immediately whipped his out but Loki was a little slower and he handed his over shakily. The giant man took it roughly and brought it into the light to peer down at it. Loki watched as his eyebrows quirked slightly and his judging eyes snapped up to roam over Loki and Bucky. Beside him, Bucky stood confidently but Loki felt naked in his skin. They were going to get caught.

The bouncer stared it a moment more before passing the cards back to them with a knowing smile. "Go ahead," he said with a grin. "Have fun." His last words sounded strange but Bucky pulled Loki away into the darkness of the club.

The music burst forth as soon as they passed through the doors. Loud rave music overwhelmed them and the tight crowd made it instantly hot and claustrophobic. But Bucky led him further inside.

The only lights inside were dim black lights and neon strips and there were people everywhere. Loki glanced up at the skywalk where people were dancing in a trance. The whole place was vibrating with the movement. Off to the right was the bar but it was hard to see with the plethora of bodies surrounding it. Loki breathed slowly, trying to capture everything at once.

"Should we dance?" Bucky hollered over the music at Loki.

"No way in hell!" Loki yelled back. He didn't dance. Ever.

Bucky laughed and led the way away from the dance floor and towards the bar area. Just as they were maneuvering through the bodies, Loki slammed right into a man, whose drink splashed over his chest.

"Sorry!" Loki said quickly, jumping away.

"It's okay," the man said in a deep-toned voice. Loki looked up at him and was affronted with a man who looked to be in his thirties with a scruffy dark mustache and beard.

Bucky appeared at his side and said, "Sorry man. It's crowded."

"I'm used to it," he said, smiling widely. Loki shivered at the look in the guy's eyes. "You know what? Let me buy the two of you a drink."

"Hey, thanks!" Bucky said as the guy moved away from them, heading for the bar.

As soon as he was gone, Loki turned to Bucky worriedly. "We need to get out of here."

"We just got here."

"There's something messed up about that guy," Loki urged. "He-"

"He's fine," Bucky said, waving him off. "You need to loosen up Loki."

Loki sighed heavily in frustration but he had no time to say more. The guy appeared quickly by them again, handing them each a drink. Bucky immediately took a swig of it but Loki hesitated, holding it up to the light. "What is this?"

"Vodka sour," the guy replied. "Try it, you'll like it."

Loki brought it to his lips, testing it out. It was bitter and it burned going down. Loki looked up to watch as the guy turned his creepy gaze over at Bucky. Loki did not like where this was going. Maybe he should just pull Bucky away and take him somewhere else in the club.

Turning away, Loki scanned over the crowd to scope out a safer place to head towards as he took another swig. A girl appeared in his line of vision. "Hi!" she greeted warmly.

"Out of the way!" Loki yelled at her instantly.

"Jerk!" she tossed back angrily, stalking away.

Perhaps he could take Bucky up to the skyways and they could escape the freak up there. He watched for a moment, sipping his drink. The crowd was jumping to the beat. Now that was something Loki would like to be a part of. Not standing around talking to creepy guys by the bar.

Suddenly, the world dipped to the side and Loki stumbled, spilling his drink a bit onto the floor. He caught himself just in time and straightened up, blinking hard. What was that? He felt fine… But maybe… He held up his half empty drink, peering at it in alarm. No, it couldn't be. He lowered his arm with an uneasy feeling.

Quickly, he turned back for Bucky and froze. Where the hell were they? The spot where they had just stood was empty! "Fuck!" Loki swore. He shoved his drink onto the nearest surface and headed toward the bar glancing around in fear. "Fuck you, Bucky," he murmured under his breath.

For several minutes, he wandered around aimlessly, growing more worried as the time wore on. His vision was wavering but it was still at bay. He just needed to find Bucky.

At least ten minutes had passed when he stopped by a group of girls standing a few feet where Loki and Bucky had stood earlier. They were slightly shadowed from the low lighting. "Hey, did you see a creepy old guy and a kid my age pass here?" he struggled to say under the dizzying cloud in his brain.

The girls glanced at each other. "Aren't you too young to be in here?" one asked, blinking in confusion at him.

"Answer the damn question," Loki slurred over the pulsing of the music.

"I think I saw them go that way," a different one said, pointing towards the far side of the dance floor. "And you know, he probably drugged that drink your friend had. He looked pretty out of it when he passed."

"It's only been maybe five minutes since he started drinking!" Loki protested, not actually how long it had been. Time was blurring.

"That shit works fast," she said seriously. "You better go find him."

He wandered away unevenly and he did look, but there was no sign of his friend. Not anywhere. It was starting to scare him to death. He checked his phone for the millionth time, not quite seeing the numbers. At least thirty minutes had passed and Bucky wasn't answering his phone and no one had seen him. Loki was breathing hard, spinning to check for any sign of his friend. The world blurred with his movement. This was not good.

It was hot, too hot and the lights looked funny. Loki only wanted to lay down and sleep but he needed his friend. He could feel it in his bones that something was wrong. If only he could clear his thoughts! He huffed, pressing a sweaty palm to his hot forehead and pushed away his hair. "Fuck," he said for the millionth time.

Picking a random direction, Loki stumbled forward and headed towards the far wall. When he got there, he scanned the area. There was a dark corner to his right and he headed for it. Getting closer still, he noticed that there was a line of small rooms, lining this wall. Oh god.

Going to the first room, Loki threw back the curtain. It was a couple making out and they continued as if they hadn't been disturbed. He went to the next one and pulled it aside a little more gently. Empty. "Bucky?" Loki called, stumbling to the next curtain.

This one he pulled back quickly and he froze in shock. Bucky was lying on the small bench inside with his shirt off but thankfully, the rest of his clothes were still on. And there stood the guy. The guy that had done this to them. "You!" Loki yelled unsteadily, trying to stay upright.

The guy looked up from Bucky and grinned at Loki. Loki roared with anger and barreled forward, trying to tackle the bastard but he caught Loki by the waist and slammed him against the wall and pressed him there. "Came to join us?" the man murmured, barely loud enough to be heard over the music.

Loki tried to throw the man off but he was pushed back against the wall harder. The bastard snaked one hand downward along Loki's hip, heading for location Loki had never been touched. Just as the guy brushed him, Loki lashed out, panicking. He kneed the bastard in the groin and he cried out in pain, dropping Loki. "Fucking bastard!" Loki hollered, kicking the guy in the stomach.

The guy dropped to his knees and Loki had just enough time to scoop his friend up and throw him up into a piggyback. Loki was sweating, breathing hard, seeing everything in a blur, but yet he pushed his way through the crowd in a panic.

"Are you okay?" Loki remembered someone asking but he shoved them aside.

He got to the door. He wasn't sure how but there he was. Relieved, he pushed out into the cool night air and concentrated hard, heading in the direction of their car. It was this way right? It had to be…

The world blurred and suddenly he was in front of Bucky's car. What? When… Whatever, fuck it. Loki slowly lowered his friend from his back leaned back against the tire of his car. He needed to find the keys. He began searching.

The world blurred a second time and Loki breathed in sharply at the sudden evasion of light in his eyes. His hands were pressed on a steering wheel, a car pedal beneath his foot, his friend next to him in the car. The road was muddling back and forth in vision. Stay still, stay still, he urged the road.

He headed for the light. That was the way home he was sure. It got closer and closer and suddenly Loki's heart lurched just as they hit something solid, throwing the car into a shuddering 360. Loki screamed as the car span once more. Something hurt. Fuck, what was that?

The car lurched to a stop and Loki breathed hard, staring out the windshield, trying to piece together what had happened. What…

Loki turned to the door and pushed his way out, stumbling onto unsteady feet. It was dark. There was a street light leaning at a dangerous angle and the front of Bucky's car was smashed in.

Loki did not find any of this concerning. He made his way around the car and opened Bucky's door and pulled his friend out. It was the right thing to do, he was sure. But with Bucky's added weight, Loki fell backwards, hitting the pavement.

He didn't remember anything after that.

He was told that he and Bucky were found side by side, both uninjured, just bruised. And when he was told by Odin that Bucky had been driving that night, even though Loki knew differently. Odin covered the whole thing up with money and excuses and told Loki to never speak of the incident again. Bucky was thrown under the bus and Loki couldn't do anything about it.

Bucky had almost gotten raped, Loki crashed Bucky's car, and now Bucky was getting punished by his parents and was also charged with a DWI. All of this was done under their town's nose.

And so began Loki's isolation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this chapter before I saw Captain America: The Winter Soldier, so don't think that I hate Bucky or anything. Poor guy.


	8. Marbles

Tony zoomed down the road, letting the roar of his engine calm him as he went 20 miles over the speed limit as he drove home. Tony was royally pissed. What made Loki want to go with Bucky of all people? What did that jackass have over Loki?

Tony's temple pulsed with frustration and he pressed down on the gas pedal even more, allowing the world to flash by. No one has ever ditched Tony Stark for anyone else. People usually ditched to hang out with him! Tony gritted his teeth, slammed on the breaks just as he came to his street and swung haphazardly around the corner. Tony slowed down by Loki's house just to glare at it purposefully before he pulled into his driveway.

"Jarvis, remind me to egg Loki's window," he said just as he switched his car into park.

His phone, which he had plugged into the car, lit up and Jarvis's voice boomed through the stereo. "I would advise against it, sir."

"Since when do I ever listen to you?" Tony said, rolling his eyes. He cut the engine and pulled his phone from the port.

"You don't," Jarvis replied honestly. Tony laughed. It was the truth. The only person Tony would ever listen to was his self. Tony silenced his A.I. by switching his phone off and placing it in his pocket.

Tony let himself into his house and kicked off his shoes off at the door. The place was still completely empty besides the boxes stacked in each room and the furniture that was all waiting in the living room. Tony dropped his backpack in the hall before walking down the hallway on his way to the kitchen.

Entering the kitchen, Tony's footsteps echoed across the tiles. The boxes covering the kitchen counters were accompanied by Tony's take-out boxes from his last few meals. They were starting to fill the kitchen with a rancid stink that almost had Tony gagging.

He went to the nearest box and ripped it open. Tony had been looking for garbage bags but all that were in this box were stacks of serving bowls. Shrugging, he grabbed one and placed his crumpled fast food bags in it. He set the bowl of garbage down outside the back door. He was too lazy to do anything more.

Pacing back into the kitchen, Tony eyed the fridge. He paused by it, contemplating. Maybe he should plug it in. That's what normal people do, right? Nah, when was he ever going to use it? He would probably order pizza or Chinese again tonight.

Tony made his way upstairs and his steps echoed across the empty house as he dragged himself up to the second floor. He walked past his father's completely empty room on the way to his own and he tried not to look in it as he passed. In his own room, Tony came to a complete stop, staring in dissatisfaction at the state of his room. Boxes everywhere with things only partially unpacked. His mattress was bare except the single comforter and pillow on top of it. His dresser stood on the other side of the room, untouched. Depressing.

Tony grumbled quietly to himself before going to his window. He looked out of it without thinking and he came face to face to the one person who had him in this crappy mood. Loki.

Loki looked up in surprise, moving his head away from where it had been pressed against the glass. His black hair fell into his eyes.

Tony adverted his gaze immediately and he took out his phone, activating Jarvis. "Play me some music, Jarvis. I'm in a cleaning mood." He threw the phone onto his bed.

"ACDC, I presume?"

"You know me so well," Tony grinned and he bent over a box and pulled out an ACDC poster and his box of tacks. He immediately went about the task of pinning the poster over his bed as Thunderstruck played on his phone.

After a moment, Tony stood back to admire his handiwork. Good, it was straight. He stared at it a good three seconds before he found himself glancing towards the window, searching out Loki. Huh. Loki was sitting out on the roof now, window wide open. He hoped that wasn't Loki's way of trying to talk to him. Tony scoffed and went to pick another poster out of the box.

Suddenly a soft thud hit the window. It startled Tony and he looked up, completely forgetting about his posters for the moment. Tony watched Loki gear up to throw another object at Tony's window and whatever it was hit Tony's window lightly.

Curious, Tony went to the window and took his time opening it. "You called, dear?" he said, leaning over the window sill to look at Loki.

The poor guy looked like a deer caught in headlights. Tony glanced at Loki's hands and noticed that they were full of marbles. "Why the hell are you throwing marbles at my window?"

Loki smirked at the marbles in his hands and said, "It's Thor's marble collection. I felt it was time for him to grow out of his obsession." He looked up at Tony and his smile wavered.

Tony smiled wryly back. "Did you have fun with Bucky today?"

"I didn't go with him," Loki said. He dropped his eyes and dumped his handful of marbles into the gutter. Tony watched in mild amusement as the marbles rolled down into the drain with a clang and dropped onto the lawn below.

"Why not?"

"Don't worry about it, Stark."

"I still don't see why you hang out with that jackass," Tony said.

"I don't hang out with him and he's not a jackass. He's just Bucky."

Tony frowned at Loki. "I'm not seeing your reasoning here, Loki. The guy dumped soda on your head today and made it very clear that you are his little bitch. Why don't you just sock a good one in his stupid, smug face?"

Loki was staring at Tony like he was the crazy one. "Are you quite done?" Loki asked, pulling himself to his feet and sweeping off the dirt on his jeans. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm coming over."

Tony shot straight up, hitting his head on the top of his window with a painful slam. The window shuttered and slipped down a few inches. Tony clutched at his throbbing head but glared at Loki. "Says who? You ditched me earlier."

"I need a place to lay low for a while," Loki said, eyeing Tony's roof.

"Hold on, you don't plan on jumping this gap, do you? It's got to be at least seven feet!"

"You say that like it's a lot," Loki replied, moving his feet into a position that made him look like he was about to start a marathon. "It'll be easy."

"Loki," Tony started but Loki wasn't listening. Tony held his breath as Loki ran two steps before launching himself across the narrow space between their houses. Loki hit Tony's roof hard but he landed easily and somewhat gracefully. "If you put any holes into my roof, you will pay for it."

Loki grinned triumphantly and made his way to the window. Tony stepped back to allow Loki to slip through. He dropped lightly onto the floor and he glanced around, scrutinizing Tony's room. "I think this is the room the old lady died in," Loki said nonchalantly.

Tony looked at Loki in horror. "How cruel! Why would you tell me that?"

Loki laughed and Tony almost felt his heart stop as he listened to the light, breathy sound. Tony pushed away the feeling to really look at Loki, trying to gage what Loki was up to this time. The kid really was bipolar.

"So what are you doing here, Loks?"

"Laying low, just like I said," he replied, going to one of Tony's boxes and peering inside. "My father is going to have a fit when he gets home."

"I wish my dad would yell at me," Tony said in response and suddenly he felt all of his air leave him as realized what he had just said. That had to have been the saddest and most pathetic thing he's ever said. Quickly, he tried to backpedal. "I mean, you know, because my dad is never around?" Damn it! Damn it! Damn. It. That was the opposite of what he wanted to say.

Loki was looking at him steadily and he didn't say anything. Instead, he blinked a few times before reaching down and pulling out a poster of a car, which Loki looked at scathingly. "You really have terrible taste in decorations, Stark." Loki glanced over at the phone and added as a second thought, "And in music."

Tony was grateful for the change in subject. "We take offense in that, don't we Jarvis?"

"We do, sir," Jarvis replied. "Even though we spend five hours a day listening to the same twenty songs."

Loki laughed. "What was that?"

"Jarvis," Tony said.

"You talked about it earlier at school… What is it?"

And that's how Tony was sucked into a long speech on how he had created Jarvis in the eighth grade and his interests in A.I. creation and his intense love for cars, computers, and 80's movies. In turn, Loki talked about his adoration for Harry Potter, science, and mozzarella sticks. Tony couldn't help but marvel at how dorky the school's punching bag was.

Before he knew it, Loki was helping him set up his room. Loki hung up all of Tony's posters which he proclaimed were all horrendous, or vile in the case of the poster of a naked chick on a Ferrari. An hour passed or maybe more (Tony wasn't keeping track of the time) when a loud crack was heard from the house next door.

Tony's eyes went to Loki and he found him glancing out the window with a short flash of fear in his stony expression. The alarm clock in Loki's hands slipped from his fingers and hit the floor with a clang, only causing Loki to jump even more.

"Silence the music," Tony commanded Jarvis and he went to the far side of the room to flip of the lights. He didn't know why he did it, but it was his first instinct. The room was plunged into quiet dimness. The natural light outside wasn't completely gone but it certainly had faded and it casted a creepy glow over Loki's silhouette.

"Loks," Tony hissed.

Loki's head turned his way but Tony couldn't make out the expression on his face. Too dark. So Tony went to Loki just as light flooded from Loki's window and yanked the boy out of view of the window. Loki slid down to side against the wall just below Tony's window and Tony sat down dutifully next to him, watching him closely.

"Loki!" was Odin's growling call into the empty room.

Tony could feel Loki tense beside him. A protective flare fizzled through Tony's veins but he did his best to ignore it.

Odin continued to call Loki's name but left the room, leaving the light on. Odin's voice boomed just as loudly no matter where he was in the house.

"Where's Thor?" Tony whispered.

"Out with friends."

"Your mom?"

"Works late."

"What's Odin going to do to you?"

Loki finally looked at him and he smiled weakly. "I have absolutely no idea. Give me a good swat? Nothing I can't handle."

Tony froze at the confession. Or was it a confession? Loki could be joking, but the desperate look on Loki's face said otherwise. Odin was hurting Loki.

"And by 'a good swat' you mean…?"

"My father likes to get a punch in now and then," Loki said, shrugging. "Not a big deal."

Tony huffed angrily. "Not a—"

"Relax, Stark," Loki said forcefully. "I get my own punches in. Now shut up, would you?"

They sat there waiting for what seemed like hours. Odin raged on for a while but things went eerily quiet abruptly. Soon after there was a harsh, shuddering pounding on Tony's front door. Neither of them moved.

Sometime after Odin left and things went quiet again, but still neither moved. They just sat side by side as the room progressed into the dark.

And if Loki fell asleep on Tony's shoulder, well… let's just say Tony stayed still all night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> School is out for the summer, so that means more updates! Hurray!


	9. Intentions

There was a warm pressure resting on his head. Moving just slightly, Loki turned to stare at Tony's shoulder. Oh God, he'd fallen asleep on Stark's shoulder. He could even feel Stark's brown hair tickling the back of his neck in time with Stark's slow breaths.

Taking deep breath, Loki pushed a hand up against Tony's face and dislodged himself from Tony's shoulder. Tony sputtered away at the movement and Loki snatched his hand away, flaming with embarrassment. He hoped that Tony had not noticed their position at any point of the night.

"Loki?" Tony called through his half-awake state.

For some reason Loki's heart stuttered. Quickly, Loki shoved the other boy away, causing Stark to fall flat onto the floor. "Rise and shine, Stark!" Loki cried a little louder than he had to.

Stark groaned into the carpet while Loki picked himself delicately, fighting the uncomfortable pain in his joints. That definitely had not been a good way to sleep. "What day is it?"

"Wednesday," Loki replied. He backed away from Stark and searched the floor for the alarm clock he'd dropped the night before. He spotted it lying face down, so he tapped it with his foot to move the time into view. Only 6:30. He had time. "I gotta go."

Suddenly Tony was awake and he shot straight up, looking at Loki with dark tired eyes. "You're going home?"

"Kinda have to," Loki said with a shrug. But Tony was still looking at him with that worried expression. "Don't worry. Odin probably left for work already." Loki turned away and began working the window open. Tony appeared at his side but he kept a good distance, leaning against the wall to watch Loki. Finally Loki had the window open all the way and he slipped through, balancing easily on the shingles.

"Loki," Tony hissed after him. Loki paused and looked back. "I'll see you at school, right?"

Loki surprised himself when he felt a ghost of a smile touch his lips. "See you in chem, Stark." Then he reeled back and leapt across the gap, landing with a thump by his window. He disappeared inside.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Loki was an awful liar and Tony hated him. Loki did not show in the hallways and nor in chemistry. He had basically disappeared off the face of the planet. Nobody knew where Loki was. Well, it was more like nobody cared.

It took Tony a while to find Thor in the senior's hallway after school and when he did, Thor sighed heavily, knowing already what Tony was going to ask. "He got suspension."

"What? He did?"

"Fury said that since he didn't want to show up for his classes or for his detention that he was getting suspension for the rest of the week. You should have seen father. He was hollering all night. And mother was a wreck. She hates not knowing where Loki is." Thor looked more annoyed than anything, crossing his arms. "He would not tell any of us where he went. Who knows what he—."

Tony cut in saying, "Wait. Loki didn't tell you where he went?"

Thor stopped to glance at Tony suspiciously. "No… he did not. Do you know where he went?"

"No, no. Loki hates me," Tony said with his hands splayed out defensively.

Thor eyed him before slamming his locker shut. He scanned the chattering crowd before leaning in closer to Tony to say, "What are your intentions toward my brother?"

"Intentions?" Tony said with wide eyes. He could feel himself slowly dying. "There are no intentions."

Thor hummed disbelievingly while he pulled on his backpack. "Whatever you say, Stark. But if you hurt Loki, I will end you."

"He's my friend, Thor," Tony said quietly. "I just want to make sure he's okay."

Something in Thor's face softened and sort of freaked Tony out. "He's fine. Just shutting himself inside his room."

Tony sighed in relief. "Thanks, Thor."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tony didn't see Loki for the rest of the week. Loki's blinds stayed shut and Loki never went to sit on the roof. But Tony swore he saw Loki's curtains move once or twice.

Tony on the other hand, kept his curtains open, just in case Loki needed someone to talk to. He was own way of keeping himself open to Loki. But Loki didn't make an appearance.

So, on Saturday morning, Tony gave up on sitting around in his room just in case Loki decided to show up, and he instead went downstairs. He supposed he could start unpacking boxes, even though it was the last thing he wanted to do.

He was unpacking his first box when his phone rang shrilly against the empty kitchen. Tony picked it up, glanced at the caller I.D., and answered, "Hello, Pepper. How are you?"

"Hey, Tony. What are you doing? Can I come over?"

Tony glanced around the messy kitchen and shrugged to himself. "Well I'm mostly unpacking stuff from the move. I don't think there would be anything interesting for you here." He moved his phone so that he was holding it to his ear with his shoulder so that he could open up a second box.

"I don't mind helping," Pepper assured him. "I just really need something to do and everyone else is busy."

"So I'm your last resort?" Tony teased her.

"You know what I mean," she laughed over the phone. "So can I come over?"

Tony snorted in amusement. "Sure, just bring money. We're ordering pizza." He hung up the phone.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Loki was lying face down on his bed like he'd been doing since he gotten suspended. Odin had taken away his laptop but hadn't bothered with his phone. Odin knew he didn't have any friends. It was a fact that made Loki grit his teeth.

"Loki, you have to come out and eat sometime!" Frigga called through the door, clearly worried.

"I'm not hungry," he called back to his mother. His voice was muffled by his pillow. Loki wasn't going to face Odin's wrath any more than he already had.

"Mother," Thor's voice rose from behind the door. "I'll bring him his food."

There was a settling silence and Loki peaked up from his pillow. But both feet moved away from the door. Loki sighed in relief, removing his face from his pillow to stare at the wall to his right.

Odin had practically commanded him not to leave his room until Monday morning. And there was no way that Loki was going to risk disobeying again.

Loki lifted tentative fingers to the tender skin of his right cheek. It stung under his touch and he gasped, removing his fingers. He wondered how bad he looked. He didn't have a mirror in his room.

Suddenly there was tapping at his window and Loki plunged his face back into his pillow, throwing his arms protectively around either side of the pillow. The window rolled up and a large body dropped inside. "Loki?"

"Go away, Thor," Loki murmured into his pillow. He turned his face slightly so that it was even further out of Thor's sight.

"I brought you dinner," Thor said softly. The dishes Thor held clinked as he set them onto Loki's desk. "It's mac and cheese. Father said that he made it especially for you."

Loki peeked up from his pillow and glared at Thor. Didn't they all know that he hated mac and cheese? Odin certainly knew.

Thor moved towards him and Loki hid his face again. He felt the bed dip with Thor's weight. "What happened, Loki?" Thor asked quietly.

Loki ignored him.

"I know something is going on," Thor continued. "I see the signs. Whatever it is, you can tell me and we can figure this out. We can get help."

"Leave it alone," Loki warned.

"Why are you so stubborn?" Thor huffed in frustration.

Loki moved so that just his uninjured side of his face would show to Thor. "Look, Thor. Nothing's wrong. I'm just a screw-up, okay?" Loki's voice hitched on the words. "I can handle this all on my own."

"If father is hurting you—"

"He's not," Loki said flatly. At least, not often. Only when Loki got especially mouthy when Thor or Frigga weren't around. "Just leave it alone."

Thor stood. A mix of anger and fear was visible on his face. "I don't understand this, brother." He sounded sad. It matched his eyes.

Loki's veins fired with anger. "I don't need you to fight my battles, Thor!" he cried. He flew to his feet, rounding on Thor. "I'm not weak! I'm not!"

_You're weak, Loki._

"I'm not!" he screamed again.

Thor was staring at him with wide eyes. "Loki…"

Loki froze. Panic clawed through his chest. He stood before his brother with his bruised face revealed. "Leave me alone," Loki growled, turning his injured side away from Thor.

But when Thor didn't move, Loki did. He scrambled out of his bedroom window, racing across the edge of the house, and launched himself without a second thought to Tony's roof. He just needed to be away from Thor.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tony and Pepper had everything removed from the boxes in the kitchen but nothing was put away. Unpacked but not organized. The two were taking a break though, sitting in the middle of the kitchen floor, chewing on the extremely cheesy pizza.

"You should really drag the kitchen table in here," Pepper laughed, trying to keep the cheese from sliding off the top of her pizza.

"Only if you help me," Tony grinned, grabbing his fourth slice.

"You know what we should do? We should set up your TV and we could watch crappy 80's movies like we used to when we were kids."

Tony gestured to her with his slice. "You've got yourself a deal!"

Movement in the corner of Tony's eye had him swinging his head in the direction of the hallway. A figure stood in the darkness of the hallway. Tony recognized the mop of black hair immediately and he flew to his feet. "Loki!"

Pepper looked up sharply. "Loki?"

Loki stood with his arms wrapped around his chest with a wild look in his eyes. But what stopped him was the small angry bruise on Loki's cheek. "Holy shit," Tony said. Loki turned his face away so his bruise was out of view. Pepper rose a little slower to her feet.

Loki's eyes roamed over Tony to settle on Pepper and whatever he saw had Loki backing up. Tony took a step forward. "What happened, Loks?"

He looked away. "I don't know why I'm here," Loki said.

Tony didn't know what to say.

Loki's eyes moved to the stairs and he backed up another step before he looked directly at Tony. "I have to go."

"Loki," Tony called but he was already moving quickly up the stairs. Tony cursed and held out a hand to Pepper. "Pep, you stay here." Then he followed Loki up the stairs. He caught up to Loki in his room.

"Loki, stop!"

He went still in the middle of Tony's room.

"Geez, are you okay?" Tony asked, walking around him so that he stood directly in front of Loki. Loki's green eyes shot up to Tony's.

"I'm fine, Stark," Loki said haltingly.

Before Loki could protest, Tony pulled Loki into a hug. Loki went stiff in his arms, not returning the hug, but he was leaning just a bit into it and that was all Tony needed to keep clutching Loki like he was a life line. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Don't get sappy on me, Stark," Loki murmured into Tony's shoulder just before Tony pulled away, giving Loki a small smile.

"Whatever. Give me your phone."

Loki frowned but didn't question it, handing over his phone. Tony took it and typed his own phone number into the contact list and gave it back wordlessly.

"I really should go," Loki said after pocketing his phone. The two of them glanced out the window and Thor was sitting on their roof. He waved at them somberly. "I gotta talk to Thor."

Tony nodded. Loki left as quickly as he'd come, hopping the gap between their roof, practically giving Thor a heart attack from the look on his face. Then the two disappeared into Loki's room. Thor drew the curtains, blocking Tony's view.

"What was that all about?"

Tony turned to find Pepper at his door. "Loki's just been having a rough time," he said quietly.

Pepper looked conflicted. "With who?"

"It's not really mine to tell," he said. He glanced back at Loki's window one last time. "Come on, let's go watch those movies.


	10. Fist Fight

Loki followed Thor into his room, feeling dreadful about what they were about to talk about. Immediately, Loki threw himself onto Thor's bed, face-down. Thor went and sat at the end of the bed, sighing heavily. "We have to talk about this," Thor began.

"Sorry, Loki's not here," Loki said flatly into Thor's pillow.

"This isn't the time to joke, brother." Thor nudged Loki affectionately and Loki felt himself deflate. So, finally someone knew what his father had been doing to him for two years. Well, two people knew; Thor and Tony.

Slowly, Loki pulled himself up so he was sitting across from his brother with his legs crossed. He put his head in his hands wearily. "It's really not that bad, Thor. He doesn't do it often. Odin just needs a way to take out his anger, and I happen to be there. No problem, okay? It gives me a chance to punch the bastard back…" He trailed off and waited. Loki wondered how his brother would take this news after being left in the dark for so long. Maybe he would yell. But there was nothing. Only silence.

The unusual quiet had Loki glancing up at his brother. Thor was staring at the wall, his eyes watery. "Thor," Loki said, scooting closer to Thor. He reached out tentatively. Loki had never been good at comforting.

Thor's eyes snapped to him almost angrily. "How long has this been going on?"

For a moment, Loki thought to lie, but it was already slipping out of his mouth before he could stop it, "Two years."

"Two years?" Thor said, exasperated. "Is this what happened two years ago? Is this what you and father were so secretive of back then?"

Loki shrugged. This and the incident with Bucky. "Look, Thor. I want you to stay out of this. This is my mess. I just have to make it through two more years of high school and then I'm free, okay? I can handle it."

Thor was staring at him as if he had grown two heads. "You're so stubborn," Thor said after a moment. "I just don't know why you don't want me or mother to help."

"Don't," Loki said immediately, "tell mother." Frigga was so gentle and forgiving of all of the men in this crappy family. Loki didn't want to come between her and any of the others.

Thor didn't respond. Instead, he stood and said, "I'm going to get the first aid kit."

Loki nodded and watched him leave, still not knowing how to feel. Was it good or bad that Thor now knew his secret? What about Stark? Loki felt as if his life was spiraling out of his control.

He turned to the window and pulled back the curtains to stare at Stark's house. Loki frowned for a moment, thinking. It was strange… where were Stark's parents? There had been hardly anything in the house. And that comment Tony had made a few days ago, about how he wished his father would yell at him… What did that mean? He realized just then how little he knew about Tony Stark.

Suddenly a harsh yell rose up from the hallway. Thor's door was wide open, so Loki heard plainly when Thor hollered, "What did you do to Loki?"

Loki's eyes went wide and his heart stuttered in fear. No. No, this was not happening. Flashing to his feet, Loki practically ran to Thor's door and skidded into the hallway. Thor was standing off with Odin who was standing in the way of the stairs. "I saw his face," Thor hissed, furiously. He was clutching the first aid kit in one hand and his other was curled into a fist.

Loki marched up to Thor, stopping just behind him. "Thor," he warned, glancing up at his father. Odin was stony-eyed. A storm of fury was raging just below the surface of his blank face. This was not good.

"No, Loki," Thor said, still staring at Odin. "This is serious." He turned his words on Odin, continuing, "I don't know what fucking reason you have for hurting Loki, but it's got to stop. Right now."

Loki was practically frozen, all tense. Thor never swore like this.

"I want to know why everyone is so eager to hurt him," Thor said, his face turning an angry red.

Odin let his gaze wash over them one at a time, before replying, "I had nothing to do with this. He told me he got into a fight after school."

"Liar," Thor said, matching Loki's own thoughts.

"Loki lies all of the time," Odin said evenly. "Isn't that right?" His question was directed at Loki and instinctively, Loki looked away. He didn't know the right answer to that question.

"What's with all of this yelling?" a soft voice interrupted them. Loki looked up in horror. Frigga had just reached the top of the stairs and was looking at the three worriedly. Loki's face paled.

"Odin's been hurting Loki," Thor said right away, looking angrily at his father.

"What?" Frigga gasped, confused.

Odin shook his head with an annoyed smile. "Loki was just lying to get attention again."

But Frigga wasn't looking at either of them, she was watching Loki worriedly. Loki couldn't do this to her. He felt himself crumbling under her gaze. "I lied," Loki said.

Thor spun to him in surprise. "Loki, tell the truth," he demanded.

Loki couldn't take it anymore. "It is the truth!" Odin stood back, looking smug. Loki forced himself to look away and was met instead by Thor's betrayed expression. But what took it all was Frigga's look of disappointment.

"What do you mean, it's true?" Thor said slowly.

Loki looked down at his hands, wrapping them together nervously. "I lied. I got into a fight when I snuck out to the park the other night. I just…" He trailed off and looked at them. Damn it, he could never do anything right. He had disappointed Thor and Frigga again and had played right into Odin's hands again. What was worse, none of them looked surprised.

Thor's look of concern turned into a glare. "So you lied about this? That is serious stuff you were accusing father of!"

"I know," Loki said evenly, pushing all emotion aside. He didn't even bother apologizing or saying any more. He just turned away from his family towards Thor's room. "I'll be in my room."

As he moved to escape, Odin's voice caused him to pause, "You're grounded."

Loki breathed out slowly and then continued his escape. He slipped away through Thor's room, out the window, and slid into his own window.

Just two more years, Loki reminded himself as he pulled himself into his bed with his clothes still on. Two years and he was free.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Monday went without a hitch, as did the rest of the week. Loki went to class as he was supposed to and attended detention dutifully. Thor was ignoring him because of Saturday's incident and it kind of hurt, but really Loki only had himself to blame. The car rides to and from school were just so quiet now.

No one was bothering him at school. Bucky, Thor's friends, and many of the others who hated Loki had done very little that week. It was like a breath of fresh air and Loki relished in it.

But Tony was a different story. Stark was an annoyance. He followed Loki around, asking questions, trying to be Loki's friend. Loki just couldn't shake him.

He did his best to avoid Tony, though. But when he was forced to talk to Stark, he responded shortly, rudely, hoping that Tony would finally get the message. Of course, that didn't deter the fool.

It was Tuesday the following week when Tony finally caught Loki by the shoulder and forced him to a stop in the Juniors' hallway after school. "Loks, talk to me," he said. Pepper was standing not too far behind Tony and Loki felt his stomach bottom out when he noticed Pepper's friends Natasha and Steve behind her. For some reason, even these three looked as worried as Tony. It left a bad taste in Loki's mouth.

"Did you tell them?" Loki hissed at Tony. The rumor about Loki's injury last week was that Loki had joined a gang. It was a rumor Loki was satisfied with. He did not want it to get out that he was getting smacked around by his father.

Tony frowned and followed Loki's gaze to the ragtag group. "No, of course not," Tony said, turning back to Loki. "They just heard that Bucky was looking for you."

"Ah," Loki nodded, finally understanding, "They came to watch me get beat up. It makes sense now."

"What?" Tony said. "No, they…" He glanced back at them and they were clearly looking around in all directions. "Well, maybe, but that's not why I'm here. You've been avoiding me. For like a week and a half now."

"Yeah," Loki said.

Tony's mouth hung open in disbelief. "Any reason why?"

"Because you're annoying as hell."

"That's not what you thought when you fell asleep on my shoulder."

Loki slapped a hand over Stark's mouth, staring around the busy hallway for anyone watching. "Don't go around spouting that stuff," Loki said, leaning in threateningly. "People will start saying—"

"Oh, look at the love birds," Bucky laughed, appearing next to them with a mocking smile.

Loki pushed Tony away and turned on Bucky. "I'm not in the mood today, Bucky."

"Hey, I'm just telling it like I see it," Bucky said, holding both hands up.

"Leave Loki alone," Tony said protectively.

"Stark," Loki warned.

Bucky laughed again. "See what I mean?"

"I'm going to kill you," Loki shot back.

"Let's go," Tony urged, moving into Loki's personal space.

"Shut up, Stark!" Loki felt his anger rising dangerously.

"Yeah, shut up, Stark!" Bucky copied.

Loki groaned in frustration and before he could stop himself, he turned and threw a punch right at Bucky's smug little face with a loud crack. People gasped around them, gathering for the fight. Loki seethed but smiled in victory at the shocked expression on Bucky's face.

Without warning, Bucky swung back, catching Loki in the jaw. Loki was thrown backward but Tony caught him before he could fall flat on his ass. Tony set Loki back on his feet before throwing his own punch at Bucky, who dodged it easily. Bucky swung his leg out and tripped Tony, sending him face down to the floor.

Loki curled his hands into fists at the sight of Tony on the floor. Bucky was gearing up to punch Tony but Loki shouted, "Is that all you've got?" As predicted, it diverted Bucky's attention.

Bucky turned back to him with a grin that Loki immediately mirrored. "I wonder how much I can make you bleed," Bucky said.

Loki laughed mockingly, feeling the adrenaline pump through his veins. "Yeah, we'll see about that."

But suddenly a body wedged between the two. At first, Loki thought it was Stark but a split second later he realized it was Steve. He was standing neutrally and staring between the two of them. "Stop before Fury comes," he said authoritatively.

"Who the hell are you?" Bucky demanded.

Steve stared him down. "Steve. We used to be friends in the second grade."

Bucky stared back in pure confusion.

Tony stood from the floor, looking somewhat embarrassed as he moved to Loki's side. "I can't believe I didn't get a punch in," Tony murmured.

Loki grabbed Tony's arm and tugged him in the opposite direction of where Steve and Bucky were having a stare-off. "Come on, you're driving me home."

"I am?" Tony asked, feigning complete surprise.

"You're an ass," Loki said, trying to hide his fondness. "Let's go." They slipped away easily.


	11. Under The Bed

"Do you want to come over?" Tony asked as he pulled his car into his driveway. He glanced over at Loki who was already staring warily at his house.

Loki looked over at him with his hand braced on the car handle. "I'm grounded, so I can't," he said. Tony felt himself starting to deflate when Loki continued, "But you could come up to my room." He opened the door and pulled himself out slowly, taking his time. "I'll meet you on the roof." Then he closed the door and began marching across the lawn in the direction of his house.

Tony sat for a moment, stunned. Loki had been avoiding him and he kept claiming that they were not friends but things like this kept happening. Tony thought of Loki as a friend and he hoped that soon Loki would feel the same. Watching Loki walk away struck a protective streak in him. His hands gripped his steering wheel a little tighter than he should have.

Realizing that he was still sitting in his car like an idiot, Tony got out quickly, slinging his backpack over his shoulder and entered his house. He smiled faintly at the rooms he passed. He and Pepper had done a great job setting things up across the house. Without her help, he probably would have never done it. Even Natasha and Steve had come over on Friday to help sift through the mess. So now, there wasn't a single box unpacked.

He threw everything down at the door and climbed the stairs to his room. For the millionth time, Tony diverted his attention away from his father's empty room as he passed it. Briefly, he wondered if his father would ever come back for him. He hadn't heard from Howard since the move.

Tony moved into his room. "Jarvis," Tony said upon entrance. "Do I have any new messages?" His computer was set up in the far corner and he had synched Jarvis in so that he was present in both his phone and his computer.

"That's a negative, sir. No new messages in your inboxes."

Tony didn't say anything. He had kind of expected it but it hurt that his father had yet to contact him. Shaking it off, he went to the window.

Loki's was already open and Tony could see him moving around the room. Tony pulled his own window open and climbed out. He peered over the gap uneasily. "No problem. I can jump this," he reassured himself. Before he could convince himself otherwise, Tony launched himself across the gap between the roofs, dropping easily near Loki's window.

Loki poked his head out. "Come on, get in here."

Following Loki, Tony pulled himself through the window and landed on Loki's bed on his back. Loki was sitting just a few inches away, looking uneasily at the door.

"What is it?" Tony asked quietly.

Loki shook his head. "It's nothing."

Tony eyed him suspiciously but sat up slowly and combed a hand through his hair, trying to fix it. He glanced around Loki's room. Having never been in it before, he was extremely curious what it looked like.

It was clean, cleaner than it should be for a teenager in Tony's opinion. Books were stacked across his desk and on the shelves of the wall that he shared with Thor's room. Green was the theme of the room, from the curtains to the bed spread. It wasn't like Tony's room at all. There were no posters, no computer, and no stereo of any kind. "You kind of have an old man's room," Tony said honestly.

Loki elbowed him in the gut, rolling his eyes. "Odin took away my computer, so all I have left to do is read," he said, gesturing to overwhelming amount of books.

"Well, I'm going to get you something to put on your walls at least," he said, standing from the bed, looking around at the blank walls. "Because this is just unnatural."

A bulletin board above Loki's desk caught Tony's eye, though, and he went to it. Loki had his class schedule pinned to the board, a picture of his family from what had to be at least ten years ago... But what really caught Tony's eye was a corner of a picture sticking out from under one of the sheets of paper. He moved the page up to reveal a picture of Loki and Bucky. They were much younger and both were smiling widely, arms slung over each other.

"We used to be friends," Loki reminded him, suddenly standing next to Tony. He had his hands in his pockets and his long black hair hung into his eyes.

"You have to tell me what happened," Tony said. He was tired of being in the dark when it came to Loki. He's only known him for a few weeks, but Loki was already in the center of his world, taking up so much of his attention. It was strange and he didn't know why, but he felt the need to indulge himself with everything Loki.

Surprisingly, Loki looked at him and nodded. "Okay, I'll tell you." Loki looked a little resigned and reluctant, but he began to tell the story of how he and Bucky had gotten to where they were today. The ended up on the floor and Tony listened as Loki told him about the club, how Bucky had almost gotten raped, and how they ended up crashing against a pole in the dead of night. And through all of this, Tony listened, resisting the urge to burst every other sentence in Loki's story. And when Loki finished, he leaned back against his bed and looked at Tony warily, as if he were expecting something bad to happen.

"Okay," Tony said slowly. "Okay, just wait a minute." He took a moment to collect his thoughts, frowning and trying to make sense of it all. "So you're telling me that Bucky hates you because you saved him from being raped and drove his car into a pole? That doesn't make any god damn sense!"

Loki smiled sadly. "His driving record was messed up and-"

"That doesn't give him a reason to dump stuff on you at lunch! And what about Odin? What is his reason for covering this all up? Why didn't he just let you tell everyone that you were drugged?" He was so angry. "Is everyone that dumb?"

Loki wasn't smiling anymore. "I don't know why Odin did what he did. He didn't want my name to get into the papers. He doesn't want me to draw attention to myself. That's what he told me and that's the only thing he told me since! He wouldn't let me tell Frigga or Thor and it's killing me, okay?" Loki wrapped his hands into fists, drawing his legs to his chest. "And then my best friend started hating me because he was threatened by Odin and he took the whole blame of everything that happened that night. Everything is screwed up," he hissed.

Tony sat and stared at Loki, not knowing exactly what to do. So Bucky hated Loki because he had gotten away free and Odin's hate was still a mystery. And this also explained why Thor and Frigga seemed so out of the loop. "Fuck," Tony said, sitting back against the bed next to Loki. "Is everyone in this town this crazy? Why is everyone ignoring things when it's so obvious?"

"People don't notice me anymore," Loki said, simply. He said it as if it were a well known fact.

Tony frowned. "I do."

Loki looked up at him. His green eyes were narrowed in confusion and held a bit of surprise. Tony could hear their breathing as they stared at each other. He couldn't place his finger on it, but there was something in that moment, that drew him to Loki. He had never noticed a single human being more than Loki. Loki looked so vulnerable and…

He realized that he had leaned in just a little before he stopped himself. What was this feeling?

A knock at the door had both of them jumping apart. They had been closer than necessary and Tony's face flamed at the realization.

Loki stood and went past Tony, going to the door. "Thor?" Loki called cautiously through the door.

"Yeah, it's me," Thor said through the door.

Loki unlocked it and pulled the door open just enough for Thor to slip through. "I heard about the fight at school," Thor started but stopped when he noticed Tony sitting on his brother's floor. Loki locked the door again behind Thor.

"Hiya, Thor," Tony said cheerfully with a wave. "I was also in that fight."

"Barely," Loki snorted from behind Thor. But then he stifled the small laugh and looked at Thor seriously. "I'm fine, Thor. Need anything else?"

"I know I've been ignoring you," Thor started but Tony interrupted.

"You've been ignoring Loki?" For some reason, the thought of Thor ignoring Loki brought anger boiling in his veins. "Why?"

"Since he lied about father. He lies about everything and it's just hard to know what to believe anymore."

Tony looked between Thor, who was obviously pissed off, to Loki who just looked completely drained. "What ever you think Loki lied to you about, it's true."

Thor was glaring at him. "You don't even know what he said."

"Just look at his face!" Tony said gesturing to Loki's pained expression. "It's so obvious!" He rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. "I'm surrounded by idiots."

Loki looked at Thor and Thor looked back and finally horror was dawning on Thor's face. "You mean Odin really had been…"

"Thanks a lot, Tony," Loki said, frowning. Whoops, guess Loki didn't want Thor to know.

Just then, loud pounding steps echoed in the hallway and both Thor looked at Loki in horror. "Hide under the bed," Loki hissed at Tony. He turned on Thor. "You too." And he pushed Thor in Tony's direction.

"What, why?" Thor asked, trying to go back to his brother.

"Just do it!" Loki commanded, trying to keep calm.

Following Loki's directions, the two rolled under the bed, not knowing quite what was going to happen. Tony gripped his hands into balls, tense. He wanted nothing more than to pull Loki under with them. Thor positioned himself next to Tony so that they could both see Loki's feet where he stood a few feet away from the door.

There was a bang on the door and it was enough to shake the frame.

Loki's feet moved to it and the lock clicked. "Odin," Loki said wearily.

A second pair of feet entered the room, stepping towards the bed. Tony held his breath, almost having a heart attack. He exchanged a startled look with Thor.

Odin's steps stopped before he reached the bed and he turned back to Loki. Loki slowly closed the door to his room.

"Where's Thor?" Odin asked lowly.

"Out with some friends." Tony tracked Loki's movements as he moved closer to his desk.

"But I saw his car in the driveway…"

"He went to Clint's," Loki said quickly. "Down the street?"

There was a pause and Odin moved a few feet in Loki's direction but stopped when Loki said, "Mother will be home soon."

Odin's feet turned away. "Your mother wanted me to give your computer back to you," he said. The computer was dropped onto the top of the bed, bouncing lightly over Tony's head. Thor tensed beside him.

"Stop looking at me like that," Odin said abruptly. His feet were angled towards Loki again. "Like you've got something to hide…" Suddenly his feet were marching steadily towards Loki and Tony had to grab onto Thor to hold him back when he had moved just slightly forward.

"What is mother going to think if I have another black eye?" Loki said, but that didn't stop Odin.

Suddenly Loki was slammed down on the floor in front of the bed, not hurt, but pinned face down on the floor by one strong hand on the back of his neck. "Don't bring your mother into this," Odin growled.

Loki was looking right at Thor and Tony from where he was pinned on the floor. He was frowning but looked unconcerned. Tony moved just a bit, ready to come to Loki's aid, but Loki shook his head minutely to stop Tony.

Odin let go of Loki and stood. "Just keep quiet up here," Odin said. He moved out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him.

Silence settled over the three of them and none of them even attempted to move a muscle. Loki looked unaffected now that it was over. He looked like he was laying on the floor just for fun.

That thought had Tony forcing his way out from under the bed. Thor followed him quickly until all three were sitting on the floor.

Tony immediately turned on Thor, "You've never noticed this kind of thing was happening to Loki?" He was infuriated. What kind of brother was Thor?

"I noticed that the two fought all the time but I never expected that father would hit Loki!" Thor said, trying to keep his rising voice somewhat quiet.

"This is no one's fault," Loki said, standing. He went to the door and locked it quietly before turning towards the two of them. "Thor wouldn't know about it because it really doesn't happen that often. In the last two years, he's only hit me…" he began counting his fingers, thinking back, "Maybe eight times. And I've hit him back five of those times. It's not that serious. I can take Odin."

Thor looked unsure, not knowing what to believe, and Tony could definitely say he felt the same. "No father should do this to their kid," Tony said quietly.

"Yeah, but…"

"No, Loki," Thor said, going to stand by Loki. He looked down at his little brother. "I know I was too stupid to notice what was happening earlier but now I'm here for you. I'm not going to let this keep happening."

Tony stood slowly. Loki's flitted between Thor and him. "We're going to help you fix it," Tony said. He looked over at Thor and suddenly there was an understanding between them. "With Odin, with Bucky, with our whole fucked up school. This is going to end."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Thor aren't taking any crap anymore.


	12. Smile

Loki decided the next morning that he would allow Stark to be his friend. He seemed genuine and concerned with Loki's wellbeing. That was a first in a long time. Thor and Tony had insisted that from this day forth, things would ultimately get better for Loki. Loki was doubtful. You cannot just undo the last two years.

Regardless, Loki decided to remain optimistic as he stomped down the stairs to the kitchen before school. Thor's door was still shut, so Loki figured that he was oversleeping. Loki smiled. He loved to watch Thor bumble about idiotically when he was late.

When he entered the kitchen, Frigga was already there, setting out two plates on the table of hot eggs and bacon. Loki grabbed his fork as he sat down in his place. "What's the special breakfast for?" Loki asked, looking over the unusual spread. He'd actually been looking forward his cereal, not that he would tell Frigga that.

She scraped back a chair across from his and sat down, smiling at him. "Just felt like doing something for my boys today," she explained.

Loki chopped off a piece of the piping hot fried egg and plopped it into his mouth, savoring the rich flavor. "It's good," Loki said absently, looking around the room.

Odin wasn't there. Off early to work, he guessed. It was all for the best but he was still on edge. He may be used to Odin hating him, but it didn't mean he enjoyed it. He just had to make sure Thor and Stark didn't have to worry.

He looked back to his mother and realized that she was staring at him with a hand propping up her chin. Her smile was small and content.

"What?" Loki said, pushing more food into his mouth.

"You just seem happier today," she said softly.

Loki chewed slowly, thinking it over. Yeah, he supposed he was a bit happier… When had that happened? Loki shrugged, picking up some bacon, trying to avoid her loving, motherly gaze.

"Did you really lie about Odin?" she asked, still smiling, but her eyes looked conflicted.

"Of course," Loki said with an eye roll, trying to remain convincing. Frigga was the most important person in his life. He would do anything to protect her.

She pursed her lips and crossed her arms, leaning forward. "You can tell me anything, baby," she said seriously. "Odin can be a little…"

"Mom, I'm an awful preson," Loki said with a smile. "You should know this by now."

She stared, not looking entirely convinced but she accepted it. Odin was her husband. Loki didn't want to ruin anything when it came to her.

Loki glanced up at the clock near the counter and choked back some orange juice. He hated orange juice. "I've got to go," he said, standing.

She mirrored him, standing and following his steps into the hallway and to the door. "Where's Thor?"

"Probably oversleeping," Loki said with a grin. He slung on his backpack. "I'm going with Tony today."

"Oh, Loki," Frigga moaned, covering her eyes in exasperation. "You could have woken him up!"

"Not my problem!" Loki called back. He opened the door and slipped out just as he heard his mother calling Thor's name up the staircase. He smiled in satisfaction.

He walked across the lawn in direction of Stark's house. After ringing the doorbell for about five minutes, Stark finally came to the door, looking exhausted. His hair was sticking up and his shirt was only partly on. Tony yanked down his shirt to cover his slim stomach and yawned.

"Did I wake you up?" Loki asked, looking at his friend apprehensively.

"No, Loks, I always look this way when I go to school," Tony said grumpily.

Loki chuckled and reached over to smooth down the worst of Tony's messy hair. When he was finished, he pulled his hand back, noticing a strange look on Tony's face. "What?"

Tony touched the spot that Loki had just fixed. "You seem different today. It's creeping me out."

Loki tried to glare at him but ended up smiling anyway. "Shut up. Let's just get to school."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tony couldn't help his staring at Loks. When he had left Loki's last night, he had been the usual sullen, prickly Loki. But today…

He felt his face warm as Loki smiled at him for the twentieth time that morning. They were pulled into the school parking lot. It was weird to see Loki looking generally happy.

Pulling into a parking spot, Tony cut the engine. Loki made to get out, but Tony locked his hand over Loki's shoulder to stop him. Loki looked at him curiously.

"Dude, are you okay?" Tony asked.

"Is it a crime to be happy?" Loki shot back.

"Yeah. When it's you, it's just creepy."

Loki's face morphed into his signature scowl and instantly Tony felt bad. Loki's smile wasn't creepy at all. In fact, Tony liked it. And maybe a little too much. That's what was really weird.

Outside of the car and on their way towards the school, Tony slung his arm over Loki's shoulders. Somehow, his arm around Loki felt right.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After that, the day went without a hitch. Loki had deflated a bit since they had entered the school, but other than that, Tony was convinced that Loki was feeling a bit better about everything since Thor and Tony had intervened. But when lunch rolled around, Tony couldn't help but feel a little anxious.

He was in line with Pep and he scanned the long line, looking for Loks. He would feel better if Loki was nearby.

Pepper was grinning at him. "So you are getting him to sit with us today?"

"That's the plan," he replied, stretching on his tip toes to look over the dozens of heads. Pepper moved into his line of vision, smiling oddly. "What ever you are about to say, Pep, now is not the time."

She tucked her hair behind her ears and crossed her arms with a knowing smile. "You like Loki."

"That's the general feeling, yeah," he said, a little distracted.

"No, Tony. You know what I mean."

Tony dropped down, flat on his feet, to look at her. He frowned. "No, I'm pretty sure that I don't know what you mean," he said, trying to figure Pepper out. This was going somewhere and he wasn't sure he liked where it was heading.

"You and Loki?" She waved her hand in the air as if that would clear everything up. It did not. "Oh my God, it's like talking to a five year old," she said, shaking her head. "Let me spell it out for you: You have a crush on Loki."

"I do not!" Tony denied immediately, mortified. His face heated up a bright red.

"That was a very defensive denial."

"Well, you don't just spring these types of things on people," Tony hissed at her, leaning in and trying to keep his voice low.

"Think about it," she replied, now lowering her voice to match his. "You always talk about him. You're always following him around… And I bet he is all that you think about, too."

Tony opened his mouth to reply but she wagged a finger out at him to silence him. "Seriously. Think about it."

And, of course, Loki chose that moment to show up over their shoulders causing Tony to jump in surprise.

"You guys weren't talking about me, were you?" Loki asked. His eyes were full of mischief. He scooted into line with them, ignoring the protests of the people behind them.

Tony breathed deeply and tried to convince himself that his heart was racing only because he'd been surprised. He glanced away from Loki.

"I'm glad you're joining us today," Pepper said, smiling at Loki.

Loki looked a little wary at her kindness. "Thanks…" he said hesitantly, glancing at Tony for reassurance.

Tony slung an arm over Loki's shoulder and said, "Loks, you have nothing to be worried about." He tried not to acknowledge the triumphant smile on Pep's face.

When they had gotten their food, Tony led the way towards Pepper and Natasha's usual table. Loki, beside him, was looking around the lunch room slowly. Tony followed Loki's gaze.

Steve was sitting with Bucky at a table across the lunch room. They were sitting alone, just the two of them, and Bucky didn't look at all happy. Steve was talking Bucky's ears off with wild gestures and a wide smile.

"Steve's trying to straighten Bucky out," Tony explained. Loki looked at Tony in interest. "Ever since the fight last week, Steve has been following Bucky around."

"I suppose they are having a rousing discussion about truth and honor?"

Tony laughed. "That sounds like Steve."

They arrived at the table and the three sat. Clint, Natasha, and Bruce were already there. Loki smiled wryly and gave a little wave. "Hi, Clint."

Clint glared back, unamused.

"Sorry that I punched you in the face last month," Loki continued.

Tony tried to hold back his grin but it didn't work so well. Clint turned his glare on Tony. "What? Loki's hilarious!"

Loki was smiling again and Pepper was eyeing him with a funny look on her face. Tony groaned. "Everyone needs to settle down. Just eat, okay?"

And they did.

It was about halfway through, though, that Tony realized he'd been watching only Loki.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The romance is beginning to bloom!


	13. Invitation

Thor caught up to Loki and Thor after school and, for the first time in a long time, Loki didn't feel any resentment towards his brother. Thor pushed between the crowd to where Loki was currently putting books into his bag while Tony waited.

"Loki, Tony!" Thor greeted as he came to a stop. "We should do something tonight."

Loki zipped up his backpack with a yank. Over Thor's shoulder, Loki could see Thor's pack of friends standing near the front entrance of the school. They were talking and throwing glances at Thor. "What about your friends?" Loki asked, slinging on the backpack. He slammed his locker shut and Stark did the same.

"Ah," Thor said, glancing back at them. "They had requested that I go bowling with them, but I told them that I wasn't going to hang out with them until they accept you into our group."

Loki blanched. "I don't be friends with your pack of freaks," Loki said, exasperated. He glanced over to Stark for support but the bastard just shrugged.

"If you want to be accepted around this school, you have to start being nice to everybody."

Loki groaned. "Isn't there an easier way?"

"Yeah, I'm not sure that's the type of task Loki can accomplish," Tony interjected. Loki elbowed him hard in the gut.

"Fuuuuck," Tony gasped, doubling over and holding his stomach. He braced himself against the lockers, pretending to dry heave.

Loki laughed and looked back at Thor. "When they stop being assholes, then maybe I'll think about being friends with them. But for now, let's go over to Tony's place. I'd assume that he would have adequate entertainment for us."

Tony straightened up and threw an arm over Loki's shoulders. Loki tensed, only a little and not enough for Tony to notice. Tony's been doing that a lot lately and he couldn't figure out if he was okay with it or not. "We could watch some of the movies that Pep left over at my place. Have either of you ever seen _The Breakfast Club_?"

The two looked at Tony blankly. "Are you kidding me?" Tony cried, looking between them. "What kind of people are you?" He grabbed onto Loki's hand and yanked him down the hallway. Warmth spread through Loki's fingertips and his heart thudded with the contact. Holy shit. This feeling… it better not be… Loki's face heated and he looked down at the ground, allowing himself to be tugged out of the school.

Outside, Tony had pushed him into his car and told Thor that they would meet at his house. As they drove home, Loki watched Tony singing tonelessly along with ACDC with the volume on full blast. He fought back a smile. No, he had to be imagining things. Tony Stark was only his best friend, nothing more. Loki frowned at his own thoughts. Wait a damn minute. When had he decided that Tony was his best friend? Loki threw his head back against his head rest, groaning.

Tony turned down the music. "Come on, you can't hate ACDC that much," he said, misinterpreting Loki's groan.

"I despise it," Loki shot back.

"Well, it looks like you're in for a long drive," Tony laughed, turning the song up to louder volume than before. He started to shout the lyrics, purposely trying to annoy Loki. But somehow, his efforts had the opposite affect and Loki found himself smiling again.

Loki didn't know he could smile so much.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

They had ordered pizza and settled in Stark's living room to watch the movie. Frigga had been fine with them missing dinner and Loki was relieved that Odin was working late. They made it all the way through _The Breakfast Club_ , eaten all of the pizza, then watched _Ferris Bueller's Day Off_ , and now Tony was putting a third movie. It was called _The Goonies_ or something. Loki really hadn't been paying attention.

"I really should be doing my homework," Loki said, watching Tony put the disc in. He had a history assignment due after lunch.

"Just do it tomorrow, Loks," Tony said, closing the disc tray. "It is more important that we educate you with the magic of the 80's."

Thor was looking at the movie case, reading the description. "I rather like these old movies," he said.

"You guys really haven't seen much of anything," Tony said, gesturing to his giant stack of movies. "It breaks my heart."

"I'm more of a Harry Potter fan," Loki said, crossing his arms.

Tony got up from the floor and went back to sit next to Loki on the couch. "See, that's your first mistake, Loks. You like garbage like that."

Loki turned his darkest, most threatening glare on Tony and hoped it burnt right through his soul. "What did you say?"

"Nothing at all." Tony raised his hands in defense.

"That's what I thought," Loki said, turning to the TV screen just as the movie started.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Loki didn't know when it happened but he had ended up falling asleep during _The Goonies_. In fact, he still wasn't sure what that movie was about.

He stirred and immediately noticed weird about the position he was in. This was all too familiar. The movie was still playing and Thor was watching it eagerly, but Loki was leaning on Tony's shoulder again.

Tony's breathing was even and heavy, signaling to Loki that he was asleep as well. But the problem was that Loki's head was stuck, wedged between Tony's shoulder and his head which was leaning against his. Loki tried to keep himself perfectly still, trying not to disturb Stark's sleep.

He glanced back at Thor and Thor was looking at him now, his eyes darting between the two. Thor had a strange look on his face that Loki would punch him for. It was almost gleeful.

"Help me," Loki hissed, gesturing to Tony and his heavy, lifeless body that was threatening to crush him at any moment.

Thor shrugged with a grin and turned his attention back to the movie. Reluctantly, Loki ended up watching the rest of the movie in that position, even though it was entirely uncomfortable being Stark's pillow.

The credits rolled and Loki waited a moment to see if Stark would wake up on his own. After a few moments, Loki sighed in frustration and yanked himself away from Tony, standing up.

Tony fell unceremoniously into the couch, startling him awake with a shout. "What the hell?" Tony said, slapping a hand over his tired eyes.

"You were sleeping on me," Loki said accusingly.

"You started it," Tony replied, rubbing at his eyes.

"You guys looked cute," Thor said casually. His eyes danced with mischief and he was smiling

Loki and Tony both looked at Thor in horror. "Thor!" Loki hollered.

"Why would you even say that?" Tony asked, standing up groggily from the couch. He turned to the TV, turning it off, while Loki glared heavily at his brother. Thor looked as cheery as ever.

"We should go home," Loki said, changing the subject. It was approaching ten and he had had enough embarrassment for one night, thank you very much.

"Wait!" Tony said, dropping the remote onto the couch and turning to Loki. "I have something for you." He gestured for Loki to stay put and hurtled up the stairs and out of sight.

Loki watched him go. Thor came to stand beside him and watched the stairs curiously. The two listened to Stark's pounding steps across the second floor. They only had to wait a few more seconds before Stark came flying down the stairs and hopping over the last few steps. He halted in front of Loki and handed him a rolled up poster. "For your wall, Loks," he said.

Loki unraveled it in anticipation but ended up groaning. "I hate you." It was an ACDC poster of all things.

"Hey, I bought that specifically for you, so you better put it up," he joked. Tony was grinning at him.

Loki shook his head. "This is going in the trash as soon as I get home."

Thor looked between the two. "Is that a band?"

Loki hung his head in defeat while Tony promptly launched into a rant.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Loki was pinning up the poster on the wall over his bed when his phone vibrated on the desk. He paused, pushing a pin into the wall slowly, while frowning at his phone. Was that a text? He never gets texts.

Rolling off of his bed, he went to the phone and picked it up, unlocking the screen. The text was from Tony.

_**wanna come over saturday? im having a party** _

Loki stared. He didn't give Stark his number, did he? He remembered that Tony had entered his phone number into his phone but Loki never gave Tony his own. He pushed reply and typed back:

_How did you get my number?_

His phone buzzed a few seconds later.

_**i sent myself a text** _

Loki went into his text history and sure enough there was a text to Tony. The message was simply an obnoxious smiley face.

_**so you coming?** _

_You have the worst grammar._

_**come on loks! are you coming or not** _

_Fine._

Loki tossed his phone across the bed and it bounced off and onto the floor. Loki buried his face in his pillow and waited. On cue, his phone buzzed on the floor.

He pushed his face further into his pillow, groaning. Why the hell did he throw it? Shoving himself off the bed, he went to his phone and picked it up slowly, almost afraid of what Tony had to say. It was bound to be sarcastic.

He opened the text and stared, biting his lip.

**_good. i wasnt going to have it without you_ **

What the hell, Stark? Loki's heart was beating too fast. What. The. Hell.


	14. Closeted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm actually quite proud of this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

Loki leaned out of his window, glaring at the Stark house. The whole thing was brightly lit in every room and music was pouring through the walls. Tons of kids were gathered on Stark's lawn and inside the house, spilling out of every door. When Stark had said a party, Loki had assumed it would be a small party with Pepper and Steve and the rest of the lunatics Tony chose to hang out with. He hadn't expected _this_.

Why the hell had Stark invited him to a party full of people that Loki hated? Not to mention, they all hated Loki too. This was going to be a fucking disaster.

It was already ten. Tony had told him to be over at nine, but Loki refused to move an inch until Tony asked him to. Loki glanced down at his phone in anticipation.

"Loki," Thor said, appearing at the door. "Don't you think we should go?"

Loki shrugged. "I like to be fashionably late."

"Come on," Thor begged. "We don't want to miss the fun." Loki looked over at his brother and groaned. Thor was using the dreaded puppy eyes on him.

He stood, smoothed down his shirt, and tried to ignore his tingling nerves. He was wearing a plain blue t-shirt over dark jeans. Honestly, he didn't care what he looked like, but he wasn't about to make himself stick out.

He followed his brother into the hallway and down the stairs into the foyer. Loki's phone buzzed just then and he opened the message.

**_you coming or what?_ **

Loki scoffed and pocketed his phone, not bothering to reply. He shoved his feet into his shoes while Thor waited, leaning against the wall. Frigga appeared from the living room. "Are you boys going to the party next door?"

Thor nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, it's supposed to be the party of the year."

"No one told me that," Loki mumbled, struggling on his left shoe. He had this thing where he never tied his shoes.

"Well, be safe you two," she said. Her eyes purposefully settled on Loki. He ignored his mother; he could take of his self, thanks.

Frigga glanced back into the living room where Odin was focused on the TV, not paying any attention to his family. "You should be back around midnight, okay?" Frigga said, turning back.

"Got it," Thor said happily while Loki mumbled, "Don't count on it."

Frigga smiled at them none the less and waved them to the door. "Okay, go on," she said. "I don't want to keep you."

Loki smiled back at her. Warmth spread in his chest with her constant positivity and kindness. He was lucky to have her.

They exited the house and Loki's smile immediately disappeared as he noticed the kids gathered in the lawn. Instead, he composed himself as they stepped across the crisp grass towards the loud, blaring party.

Thor led the way past the other kids, some of which Loki recognized from class, and entered the front door. The house was filled with people, bodies everywhere, and the noise was horrendous. Loki grimaced and stepped in the hallway.

"Thor!" Fandral called excitedly, followed by Sif and Hogun. "You're here! Finally."

Thor attempted to glare at his friends but he was doing a piss-poor job of it. "I told you that until you accept Loki—"

Fandral interrupted, saying, "We know, Thor, and we're _fine_ with little Loki." He stuck his hand in Loki's hair and ruffled it aggressively.

Loki ducked out of his grasp, glaring heavily. What an asshole. Fandral only continued to grin at Loki and then winked once at them. "Right, Loki? We can get along?"

"Piss off," Loki spat back, crossing his arms.

"See? That's the spirit," Fandral said, turning back to Thor. "But really, Thor, I need you to come with me. I have Jane waiting to meet you in the backyard." Fandral gestured to the kitchen behind him which was packed with teenagers.

Thor's face turned instantly red. He hesitated, looking at Loki.

"Go. You don't need to babysit me," Loki said, waving his brother away despite how uncomfortable he was growing.

Thor patted Loki's shoulder in hard strikes. "I really owe you one, brother," Thor said with a grateful smile.

Loki shrugged him off and watched him disappear into the crowd with his friends. Great. Now he was alone in the middle of a party. The only thing left to do was to find Tony and if he didn't find him, Loki would be happy to leave.

He moved through the sea of bodies as the music pulsed around him, vibrating through the frame of the house. He headed first towards the living room. Loki scanned the crowd and noticed Steve. He took a step towards his acquaintance, but Steve was already moving away from him, navigating the crowd a lot easier than Loki was.

Loki ventured further inside and was slammed into by another body. He turned as the girl laughed, slurring an apology. Loki glared at her before moving on.

He was back in the hallway a moment later, growing more impatient even though he'd only been there for less than ten minutes. He took out his phone and there were no new messages from Stark. Glaring at the blasted thing, Loki sent off a text message to Stark, telling him to meet him in the kitchen.

Suddenly, Loki felt something hit his feet and he was falling. His phone flew from his hand and it skid across the floor, disappearing into the crowd. Loki landed flat on his stomach just something wet sprayed over him, completely soaking him. It smelled like vodka. Loki groaned, feeling the vodka seep through his clothes and dripping through his hair.

Loki glanced up, glaring around, looking for the culprit. "You should really watch where you're walking," Thanos called, standing to his left with an empty glass. There were laughs from the people around Thanos but the rest of the crowd went back to whatever they were doing, continuing to ignore Loki who laid on the ground.

Loki struggled to his feet. "Fuck you," Loki growled back at Thanos.

Thanos laughed at Loki. Anger boiled up inside of Loki and he lunged at Thanos. He could kill him!

Someone grabbed onto him, holding him back from smashing Thanos's face in. "Get off of me," Loki said, trying to throw the other person off.

"Loki, stop!"

Loki turned his head in surprise, recognizing the voice that had just shouted in his ear. Bucky was standing there, holding onto Loki's middle, keeping him from moving, but Bucky was scowling at Thanos. "He's not worth it," Bucky continued.

He was beyond speechless, looking at the boy who had terrorized him for the last two years. "What the hell?" Loki said, not knowing what else to say.

Thanos glowered at the two of them. "I see you've been hanging out with Steve too much, Bucky," Thanos said. "You're getting soft."

"Shut up," Bucky warned, loosening his hold on Loki.

Thanos grinned. "What happened, Bucky? You're standing up for this loser now? Why? Because of Steve? Please tell me he's at least sucking your cock for you!"

Suddenly Bucky was shoving Loki aside, lunging at Thanos. The crowd erupted in loud shouts and cheers as the fight broke out. Bucky threw a heavy punch which connected with Thanos's face with a heavy crack. Thanos stumbled back a few feet, clutching at his nose but Thanos looked up, letting his bloody nose show.

"You have it coming!" Thanos barked back. He swung out his leg, tripping Bucky just as he did with Loki, and he went down with a thud. Thanos was on him instantly, punching Bucky right in the gut. Screams rose up over the party.

Loki grabbed onto Thanos's shoulders, shoving him away from Bucky. Thanos clocked him in the cheek. Loki gasped out at the eruption of pain but kneed the bastard in the gut. Thanos went down, clutching at his stomach.

Quickly, Loki turned to Bucky and threw out his hand to him. Without hesitation, Bucky grabbed on and hoisted himself up to his feet.

"Come on!" Bucky cried, clasping onto Loki's wrist and tugging him into the crowd, escaping while they had the chance.

"What are you doing?" Thanos yelled through his heavy gasps to the people around him. "Grab them!"

But Loki and Bucky were already disappearing through the crowd and down the hallway. Around the corner, Bucky threw open and closet and shoved Loki inside. He shut the door quietly after them.

The two of them slumped down in what appeared to be a coat closet. The coats above them swayed and Loki was pretty sure he was sitting on some shoes. Bucky laughed quietly as they watched shadows pass by the closet. Their stomping feet faded down the hallway.

Loki looked at Bucky. Bucky was smiling, still watching the door. This is probably the happiest Loki had seen Bucky since 9th grade.

"Why did you help me?" Loki asked, shifting uncomfortably in his wet clothes.

Bucky turned halfway toward him and suddenly his smile became fonder. "Steve is starting to grow on me…"

Loki nodded, drawing his knees up to his chest.

"I'm sorry."

Loki's head shot up at that, staring at Bucky with wide eyes. "…what?"

"I'm sorry for being a dick," Bucky continued, refusing to look at Loki. "Steve told me to say that…"

Loki figured. Bucky wasn't the type to apologize on his own, but just the fact that he did was beyond anything Loki had expected.

"Don't get me wrong," Bucky continued. "We aren't friends. But I know that I overreacted now, okay? So let's just, I don't know, forget about everything."

"You're the one who started all of this," Loki replied, feeling a little annoyed. "And you're stupid if you think I'll just forget about everything."

"I know." Bucky said, looking at him. He was frowning deeply, looking at Loki as if he were a kicked puppy. "I was angry about what your dad did. He threatened my family! I hated you for that. But now… I'm going to let go."

"For Steve," Loki finished for him.

Bucky didn't respond to that; not really confirming nor denying what Loki said. "I'll try to make up for it, I promise." He glanced at Loki, completely serious.

"No," Loki said firmly. "Don't do anything. I don't want your help. Like you said, we're not friends and it's probably not going to change any time soon."

The two just looked at each other, not knowing what to make of each other. Bucky's sudden change of heart didn't sit well with Loki but at least he was starting to realize what an asshole he's been.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tony went to the kitchen as soon as he got Loki's text to meet him there. A lot more people had shown up at the party than Tony had expected but he had yet to find the one person he'd thrown this damn party for. Actually, scratch that, this party wasn't for anyone in particular. Nope. Definitely not for Loki.

He cursed under his breath and pushed his way to the kitchen island where all of the booze was set out. Tony snatched up the bourbon and poured himself a glass, before turning to the rest of the people. He scanned the crowd for shaggy black hair, but Loki was nowhere in sight.

Loki took a swig of his drink, not even wincing as the alcohol seared down his throat. It was his father's incredibly strong bourbon.

A girl stumbled into the kitchen, looking excited. "There's a fight in the front!" she cried out.

"Ah, hell," Tony groaned. They better not break anything.

He sat back against the counter and watched as a good portion of the kids went to watch the fight. Tony tapped his fingers on the counter as he waited, growing impatient. How long was Loki going to keep him waiting?

Suddenly there were people running down the hall and Thanos, the renowned idiot of the senior class, came bursting into the kitchen yelling, "Loki! Bucky!"

Tony froze mid-drink. Thanos fought his way through a group of girls and ran out the back door, followed by a few of his friends. "Shit," Tony said, discarding the bourbon with a clink of his glass.

Tony slipped his way into a group of girls who had just entered the kitchen and turned on his award-winning smile. "Hey girls, do you know what was happening with Thanos and Loki?" he asked.

The girls smiled back and one blonde spoke up, "There was a big fight between Thanos, Loki, and Bucky and now Thanos is on a man hunt for them."

Tony felt his smile slip and he nodded, pushing away without even saying a thank you. His heart thudded as he stepped out into the hallway, searching for Loki.

He grabbed onto a girl walking by. "Have you seen Loki?"

She pointed back in the direction of the kitchen. "Thanos is probably killing him as we speak," she said before stepping around him.

Tony backtracked, heading for the kitchen. He was worried out of his mind.

Just as he was about to walk back into the kitchen, he paused, noticing the closet. Tony went to it immediately and threw it open, revealing Loki and Bucky sitting side by side on the bottom of his closet.

Loki was drenched and there was a darkening mark growing on his cheek. "Jesus Christ," Tony said, squatting down by Loki, taking a good look at his injured face. "What happened?"

"A fight," Loki said simply. Tony looked into Loki's soft green eyes and his heart stuttered.

"You scared the shit out of me," Tony said, not able to take his eyes off Loki's spanking new injury.

"I'm fine too, thanks for asking," Bucky said, standing and looking down at the two on the floor.

Tony glared up at Bucky. "Did you do something to Loki? Because I swear to God, I'll—"

"He helped me," Loki said casually, standing. Tony followed him to his feet but kept close. "Thanos poured a drink on me and he threw Thanos a punch in his face." He caught Tony's still worried expression. "I'm fine."

Tony looked at him closely, making sure that Loki was telling the truth. Besides the growing bruise and his soggy wet clothes, Loki seemed otherwise unharmed. "That doesn't explain your bruise though." Tony had the urge to touch him but he restrained his self.

"I made sure that I got a few punches in too," Loki said, as if that were enough explanation.

"Well next time invite me to the fun," Tony said. He glanced back to Bucky but Bucky was gone. "And since when are you friends with Bucky?" He didn't like that Loki was even close to Bucky after all that he'd done to Loki.

"I'm not, so you can stop looking like you are going to have a fit," Loki said. He smiled slightly with a hint of humor. God, Tony hated Loki right now. His heart was working in overdrive. "Steve made him be nice to me."

Everything clicked in place and Tony relaxed. "Ah, that makes a lot more sense. I thought something was wrong with the universe, like the world was imploding." He gestured for Loki to follow him with the flick of his hand. "Come on; let's get you some fresh clothes."

But before Loki could respond, Thor came thundering into the hallway, followed by a small petite girl and Thor's friends. "Loki! Are you hurt?"

Loki slapped a hand over his face, clearly embarrassed. "He's fine, Thor," Tony said, grabbing onto Thor and steering him back towards his friends. "Now leave us alone, okay?"

"But Tony," Thor began.

"Go," Tony said, pushing him toward the girl. He lowered his voice for only Thor to here. "I've got him."

After that, he disappeared upstairs with Loki. He tried not to notice any of the obvious stares from the party-goers as he pulled the school's outcast up the stairs to his room. Fuck them all. Loki's awesome.


	15. Attraction

Tony shoved his bedroom door open to reveal five kids sitting around on his bed. Thank God they were all clothed. "Get out," Tony commanded. He and Loki moved to the side of his room to let all five of them leave. One or two of the girls gave him and Loki odd looks as they left.

Geez, people! He's just letting Loki borrow some of his clothes. It's not like he was going to throw Loki on his bed and… _Okay, let's not go there._

"I think I have something that would fit you," Tony said, looking at Loki's small frame. Loki was a little taller and a little thinner than he was but not by much. Tony went to his closet and opened it, studying the clothes inside.

Loki went to Tony's bed and flopped face down onto it. "Hey, you're going to get my bed wet," Tony said. Loki didn't respond so Tony went back to looking through his closet. He shoved each shirt aside one by one, not satisfied with any so far.

Shifting on the bed so he could watch Tony, Loki said, "I don't care what it looks like. Just pick something out."

"What ever you say, Loks," Tony said. He grinned and grabbed one shirt in particular that he knew Loki would hate. Then he went to his dresser and opened his drawers to find a good pair of pants. He took out a pair of dark gray sweatpants that were his favorite. "Here," he said and launched the clothes at Loki.

Loki groaned and sat up to look at the clothes. "Are you serious, Stark?" Loki held up the shirt and rolled his eyes at it. ACDC. Yeah, Tony knew Loki well.

"Come on, Loks. You need to give it a chance."

Loki shook his head, exasperated, and tussled his wet black hair. "I smell like vodka," Loki complained. He pulled up his soaking shirt, revealing his thin, flat stomach, and Tony had to look away.

_Dear lord._ Tony had to force himself to breath evenly as he fought a crisis in his head. Was… was he attracted to Loki?

A chime from his phone distracted him and he took out his phone. It was from Jarvis, informing him that the alcohol for the party downstairs was rapidly depleting. He'd put Jarvis on silent for the party.

"I guess the alcohol is all gone," Tony said, turning back to Loki, forgetting that he was changing. Loki was still half naked, just about to put Tony's shirt on. Tony snapped his eyes shut with a cry and turned back to face the wall again. "Geez, Loks, could you change any slower?"

"You don't have to act like I burned your eyes," Loki replied and Tony couldn't tell if he sounded pissed or amused.

"This party is a bust," Tony said. "I should just send everyone home." His phone was flashing with a new message but Tony turned on the volume. "Come on Jarvis, use your words."

"Sir, I would like to inform you that your father has just arrived."

"Arrived? Like here? At the house?"

"Yes, sir," Jarvis replied.

"Crap!" Tony cried. What the hell was his father doing home? And why didn't he call? And worse yet, Tony didn't know how his father would react to finding a party in his home on the one night he decided to come home. He flashed a worried look at Loki, who was fully dressed now. Loki looked equally as worried, especially when they heard the music cut off down stairs.

"What should we do?" Loki asked.

Tony went to the door and opened it, listening to the commotion downstairs. "Out! Out!" Howard's booming voice echoed over the buzzing crowd downstairs. Tony dared to walk a few feet down the hall and peek down the stairs. Kids were flooding out the front door while Howard walked casually through the crowd, heading for the stairs.

Tony's eyes widened and he raced down the hallway and back into his room, shoving the door shut. "Howard's coming," he informed Loki who was still standing in the middle of the room. "Get in the closet."

"What? Why?"

Tony didn't know why he was shoving Loki into the closet but he did anyway. He scooped up Loki's damp clothes, shoved them in Loki's hands, and closed the doors on him just before Howard came knocking at the door.

Rushing to the door, Tony opened it. "Dad," Tony greeted. "What are you doing here?"

"Where's the girl?" Howard asked, looking around the room expectantly, stepping inside.

"What girl?"

"The girl," Howard said, ducking a little to look under Tony's bed. "The ones you always have in your room at one your idiotic parties."

"There's no girl," Tony said but then Howard was moving towards the closet. For a second, Tony's heart stopped. "Okay, okay, she went out the window." Was that all his father expected of him?

That stopped Howard in his tracks, turning back to face Tony. His gaze was still expressionless. "The reason I sent you to this school was to stop your idiotic behavior. And what did you do? You had a party."

Tony frowned. "It's only been one party."

"Do you know how this could reflect on me and my company, Tony?" Howard asked him. The man towered over him, even taller than Loki. "If the press hears that you are back at it, they'd have a field day. I can't let this get into the press, got it?"

Tony's veins fueled with anger and he glared at his father. "That only happened a few times," Tony growled. His father had no sympathy, no compassion, and no love for his family.

"It shouldn't have happened at all," Howard snapped back.

"Mom died," Tony said. He felt all of his anger drain out of him and he dropped onto his bed. His own mother was dead. It happened almost two years ago, in a car crash. Tony had drunk himself stupid on several occasions and it got into the news more than once. He was better now, but it didn't mean that his mother's death still didn't hurt.

Howard's jaw worked with unspoken words. "Just make sure this doesn't happen again. Clean up the mess tomorrow. I want it clean before the movers get here with my new furniture for my room, okay?"

Tony hung his hand, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah, got it."

Howard swept out of the room, down the hall, and disappeared down the stairs. Tony stood slowly and went to close the door softly. He then turned to look at the closet where Loki was hidden and he went to it, slowly opening a door to reveal Loki with a pained look on his face.

"Dads, huh?" Tony said, smiling sadly.

"Yeah," was all Loki said. He still clutched onto his wet clothes but he dropped them onto the floor and kicked against the wall. "Should I go?"

The thought of Loki leaving didn't make Tony feel any better; in fact, he felt worse. "No. You want to stay?"

"You're always lurking when Odin does something stupid, so…" Loki's eyes flicked away, looking embarrassed. Loki moved and scooted onto Tony's bed, so his back rested against the wall. "So, can you show me how Jarvis works?"

Tony smiled wholeheartedly. He liked this worried side of Loki and how he was trying to distract him; it certainly was working. He went to Loki and set right next to him, taking out his phone. "Jarvis is an A.I. that I built personally…"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"What does your father do?" Loki whispered through the darkness. They had stayed up talking about little random things. Tony had turned off the lights a while ago, claiming he was exhausted but they'd continued to talk. Loki planned on staying all night; he didn't know why, but he didn't want to leave. So he'd sent a text off to Thor and Frigga to say he would be back in the morning.

"He's the CEO and President of Stark Industries. They develop and manufacture advanced weapon and defense technologies. I'm supposed to take on the business after college…"

"Is that why everyone was freaking out about you during the first week of class?" Loki asked. He tried to glimpse Tony through dark but he could only see his outline. Loki moved slightly and his shoulder pressed firmly against Tony's and his wet hair dripped over Tony's single pillow. Tony had insisted that Loki used it.

"You seriously have never seen the news about my family?" Tony asked incredulously. "Not even an article about me?"

"No," Loki said, still watching Tony's outline. "I'm not one for the news."

"Yeah, well, it's best that we keep it that way. Nothing's pretty about my past."

"And mine is?"

Tony changed the subject. "What about your dad? What does the all mighty Odin do?"

"Uh, lawyer," Loki said, frowning.

"You don't sound so sure of that."

"Odin and I don't really talk. Never have," Loki said. "I just know that he's in law and he got the police to overwrite the report on how I crashed the car… But mom's a third grade teacher over at the elementary school." Loki smiled fondly. His own mother had been his teacher back then.

A comfortable silence settled between them and Loki just looked at Tony. He could hear Tony's breathing start to even out.

Loki shifted his head to stare at the ceiling. So Tony had an asshole of a father too. That was the last thing he wanted for Stark. He was supposed to be the composed, smart one that knew what to do in every situation.

He inhaled a sharp breath and looked at Tony again. Dear God, he liked Tony Stark. The realization hit him straight in the gut like a semi and it took him a long time to calm down. Soon after, he fell asleep too.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

To say waking up in Tony's arms was a surprise was a complete understatement. Loki's forehead was pressed to Tony's collar bone and Tony's head rested on top of his. Loki tensed up immediately, realizing what a compromising situation this would be if Tony's dad happened to walk him.

_What do I do? What do I do?_ Loki thought, staring at Tony's chest. The room was brightening with the sun. Loki breathed in and found himself overwhelmed with Stark's scent. _For the love of…_

Slowly, he reached up and picked up Tony's arm, trying to lift it off him. Instead, Tony ended up clutching at him harder and Loki was practically suffocating against Stark's chest. "Stark," Loki hissed at him, trying to free himself.

Tony didn't respond and Loki was trapped in Tony's entangled arms. He sighed and his breath ghosted across Tony's shirt. Loki let him self lay for moment. It felt… nice, he supposed.

Aaaaand that's his cue to escape.

Once again, Loki took Tony's arm and raised it off of him. Before Tony could clamp back down on him, Loki rolled out of Tony's embrace, causing him to hit the wall loudly. "Loki?" Tony asked groggily, still half asleep.

Even freed from Tony's arms, Loki felt his face heat up with embarrassment. Quickly, Loki crawled over Tony and off the bed, rousing Tony finally awake. He sat up, rubbed his eyes, and watched Loki with a frown. "What are you doing?"

Loki backed away from Tony, red-faced and flustered. "Just… need to go home. Breakfast and things." He took another step backward and stepped on Tony's skateboard, almost falling backwards. He caught himself before he could crack his head open on the window frame.

Loki steadied himself while Tony laughed at him, dropping back into his pillow. "You're very entertaining in the morning, Loks."

Warmth spread through Loki but he retorted, "Shut up, Stark."

He kicked the evil skateboard away from him. He didn't even know Tony owned a skateboard. Then he through the window up and looked back at Tony. "See you later?"

"Yeah, Loks," Tony said warmly, waving him off. He looked incredibly sleepy and Loki didn't want to keep him awake any longer, so Loki headed out to his room.

It wasn't till Loki was back in his own room that Loki realized he was still wearing Tony's clothes. He face-planted into his own bed and groaned into his pillow; he was a complete waste of space. Tony probably thought he was some kind of klutz.

And why did he even care?!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tony watched Loki leave at lightning's pace. Did he really have to leave that bad? Loki hopped across the space between the roofs and slid through his window. And to Tony's amusement, Loki dove face-first into his bed just below the window. Tony laughed, shaking his head.

He turned and smiled up at his roof. Loki was probably his favorite person in the world right now and he wondered what that said about him.


	16. Unexpected Confession

Monday morning was completely sunny and Tony optimistically felt that today would be a good one. The day before, Tony had spent the day cleaning up the mess in his house. There wasn't even any time to see Loki, sadly. Besides, Howard's watchful eyes had been on him all afternoon, making sure that he finished the clean-up.

Tony went downstairs, carrying his backpack, and went to the kitchen to catch some breakfast before he and Loki went to school. When he walked inside, he frowned, realizing that Howard was already sitting at the small, round kitchen table. He held the morning paper in his left hand and a cup of coffee in the other. Tony stopped in his tracks to look at him.

Howard glanced up at him over his paper briefly before returning to it without a word. Ah, that was the Howard Tony knew. The one who ignored him until Tony made a mistake. Typical.

Tony went about his morning routine, popping bread into the toaster. He waited impatiently by the toaster and its rising heat as he stared at the back of his father's head. What was he doing here still? Didn't he have to work in the cities?

As if he read Tony's mind, Howard said casually, "I took the week off." He tilted his head slightly towards Tony but still wasn't looking at him. "I want to explore a bit of this town. I also want to check in with your teachers to make sure you're staying on track for an Ivy League school."

"I already told you that I don't want to go to M.I.T., remember?" Tony said, annoyed. The toaster popped with his toast and he grabbed the slices immediately to spread jelly on them. Truthfully, Tony didn't know where he wanted to go to college. It was still his junior year. Did he really need to think about it already?

Unfortunately for Tony, however, Howard had been pushing for M.I.T. since he was six. It was getting kind of old hearing about how that school topped all others. What about what he wanted to do? Maybe he wanted to backpack across Europe or something!

"We'll talk about it later," Howard said, not exactly dropping the subject, but letting it slide for now.

Tony grabbed his toast and threw the jelly jar back into the fridge before escaping the kitchen. He didn't even spare Howard a backward glance.

Safely out of the kitchen, Tony slipped out the front door into his front lawn. He shoved both slices of toast into his mouth to free his hands and he shot off a quick text to Loki, informing him that they were heading to school earlier than usual.

Loki replied quickly, relenting but whining about having to skip breakfast. Before Tony could text back, Loki was already slamming his front door and pacing across the lawn towards him. Tony took a bite of his breakfast and smiled at Loki while he chewed. "Want some of my toast?"

"No, you've had that in your mouth," Loki said with a look of disgust.

"That shouldn't stop you."

Loki rolled his eyes and opened his car door, sliding inside. Tony did the same.

As they drove to school, Tony ended up telling Loki about his dad without even meaning to. All Loki did was ask how his morning was and here Tony was spilling his guts about Howard's obsession with M.I.T. and how Howard was visiting his teachers to check up on his grades.

"Sorry to dump that all on you," Tony said to wrap up his rant. He kind of felt bad and a bit idiotic for talking Loki's ears off for the entire drive.

Loki shrugged. "It's fine," he assured him. Loki looked more concerned than bored by his rant, so Tony accepted it. Warmth spread through his chest as he looked at Loki.

"Just don't listen to him," Loki said, looking away and out the window as they pulled into the school parking lot. "You're smart. You can get into any school you want." He glanced back and his black hair fell into his face; he smiled easily at Tony.

He's cute, Tony realized, but Loki would kill him if he said anything like that.

Tony parked and they got out, heading towards the front of the school. Although they were at the school earlier than they usually were, the school was still bustling with students coming in to their lockers. He and Loki walked shoulder-to-shoulder as they ascended the front steps and entered the school.

Immediately, Tony realized something was off. The kids in the hallways kept looking at them before turning to whisper in small groups. Loki tensed beside him, noticing the same thing. They exchanged a confused glance.

The air was tense as they wandered into the juniors' hallway, heading for their lockers. Tony began to recognize what was going on here. Rumors. He'd lived through all of the worst rumors in his last school but that wasn't why he was growing in fear. Tony glanced at Loki.

"Tony, Loki!" Pepper yelled, waving at them enthusiastically. She jogged over to them and beamed at the two of them. "I heard the news!"

Tony glanced at Loki warily just as he asked slowly, "What news?"

"That the two of you are dating!" she exclaimed, giving Tony a wink.

Horrified, Tony shook his head at her, trying to signal her to shut up. Loki inhaled sharply, took a step away from Tony, and turned to look at him with wide eyes. Then he shot a glance back at Pepper. "We're not dating," Loki said. He almost sounded offended. That took a hard jab into Tony's ego.

Pepper's smile disappeared. "What?"

"Where did you hear that?" Loki asked quickly, his voice rising. Tony tried to catch Loki's eye but he wasn't looking at him anymore, avoiding his gaze at all costs.

"Everyone is saying it. They said you hooked up at Tony's on Saturday…" she trailed off and looked worriedly back and forth between the two. "Is it not true?"

"Of course not," Tony said roughly, his eyes still on Loki. "That would never happen." He had said it to shut Pepper up but as soon as the words were out of his mouth, his heart stopped.

Loki's eyes flashed to his and there was something there: hurt, anger, pain. Tony's stomach bottomed out as Loki took another step away from. "Loki," he said, reaching for his friend.

"I've got to go," Loki said shakily, gesturing in a random direction. Tony knew well enough that he had no where to be. "I have to… I need to…" He didn't even bother finishing his sentence. Loki spun on his heel and launched himself away.

"Loki!" Tony called after him, panicking. What just happened? "What was that?" he asked, turning back to Pepper with wide eyes.

"Why did you say something like that?" Pepper cried, glaring at him. "It's obvious he likes you!"

"No way, Pepper. Loki would be the last person to _like me_. We're just friends." Tony said before staring back in the direction Loki had disappeared. "There's no way he could."

"Of course he does!" Pepper practically yelled at him. She hit him with her backpack between each word to emphasize how stupid he was.

Tony let her hit him. He deserved it, each and every hit, because he's a freaking idiot if that's true. He scrubbed a hand over his face, glancing at Pepper in turmoil. Tony was barely coming to terms with his own feelings for Loki. Could it be possible that Loki felt the same? It felt impossible…

"You think he does?" Tony asked seriously, grabbing onto Pepper's shoulder and looking her right in her eyes.

"I don't know how you don't see it," she said quietly. Her gaze on him was full of pity.

"Shit," Tony whispered, trying to take the weight of it in. If Tony was honest with his self, he knew that there was something more going on here than just a simple friendship. And if what Pepper said was true, that Loki did feel something for Tony, what was stopping them? Tony sucked in a breath. What was stopping him from being with Loki? "I have to talk to him."

Pepper nodded at him in complete agreement, pushing his shoulder gently in encouragement. That was all it took to send Tony running down the hall.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Loki dropped his backpack on the roof before pushing himself up onto the small wall on the edge. He breathed hard and unevenly, wrapping his arms around his middle.

Of course not, Stark had said, like it was obvious that they wouldn't be together.

The claws of despair gripping at his heart were excruciating. When he had started realizing his own feelings for Tony, which was only in the last few days, he hadn't considered what he would do if Tony didn't share those feelings. God, it hurt.

He should've known that Tony wouldn't like him like that. He should have stopped himself from feeling… _feelings_ , when he had the chance.

Loki looked across the parking lot as more and more kids started streaming in and he kicked his leg absently. Tony was just being a good friend. Why didn't he see that earlier?

Loki clenched his teeth, hating himself. Why did he have to feel this way? He forced himself to swallow, still clutching at himself with his arms crossed. He had to suck it up and just let things go back to normal. He had to make things the least awkward as possible. Loki's eyes steeled with his determination; he had to put the rumors to rest.

The door slammed open and Loki jumped, glancing back behind him. Stark was standing in the doorway, panting hard with his backpack still over his shoulders. Loki frowned at him. "Stark, what are you doing?"

"Loki, I need to talk to you."

Loki's heart ached. He didn't want to hear what Tony had to say and he didn't want whatever it was to change their friendship.

Swinging his legs back over to the roof, Loki dropped down next to his backpack just as Tony approached him. He had a puzzling look on his face that had Loki biting his lip in confusion. He needed to stop Tony from saying anything. "Sorry that I overreacted earlier," Loki said, turning his head slightly into the soft September breeze.

Tony looked back at him steadily. Loki continued, "I don't need rumors going around about me…" He lowered his eyes. "…about us."

"Loki," Tony said softly. His voice was too soft, too gentle. It hurt to hear it.

Loki curled his hands into fists. "Maybe we should stay away from each other for a while."

A heavy silence followed his words and Loki waited, wondering what Stark would say. He hoped that Tony would still want to be his friend after all of this but he had to make sure the rumor died before anything else followed. He waited for what seemed like an eternity before he couldn't take it anymore. Loki looked up at Tony.

Tony was staring at him with a frown, looking thoroughly confused. Their eyes met and Loki felt uncomfortable in his skin. The way Tony was looking at him was like he was looking right through him. "Loki, do you like me?" Tony asked bluntly.

It threw Loki off guard; his face heated and he looked away, not wanting to say anything. If he said yes, it would all be over. "No," he said. "Not like that."

"I don't believe you." Tony's voice was hard and it matched his expression when Loki returned his gaze to him.

"Well, you have to," Loki growled back. Who was Tony to not believe what he said about his own feelings? Who did he think he was? Why was Tony allowed to just waltz into Loki's life and become a central fixture? Loki felt himself start to crumble, picturing the rest of high school without Tony.

"Well, I don't," Tony said.

"Yes, you have to, okay?" Loki argued back, going into hysterics. "We're going to have to stay away from each other. That's just the way it has to be!"

"Says who?"

"Says me!"

"Well, I don't want to!" Tony yelled back, his eyes full of emotion.

Loki wanted to hurt him. Beyond anything else, he wanted Tony to feel his pain in that moment. Loki took a deep breath. "Why?"

Tony's expression softened and his head stooped as he gathered his thoughts. Loki waited with a weight in the pit of his stomach.

Tony looked at him with his dark brown eyes and Loki was already feeling the loss of their friendship. What was he going to do without Tony? It kept circling in his head, beating back and forth.

Then Tony said the last thing he expected to hear. "Because I like you, Loks."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, gosh. I'm really nervous for this chapter. I hope you like it!


	17. Maybe a Kiss or Two

"You what?" Loki asked, not really knowing what he just heard. Was Stark really saying…?

"I like you," Tony repeated again.

Loki's whole body flared with anxious, nervous heat. He frowned, not able to comprehend. Slowly he shook his head. "You don't mean that." Tears were prickling at the edge of his eyes, threatening to spill over. He rubbed at them, cursing his body's betrayal.

"Yeah, I do," Tony said, moving in closer. He shrugged off his backpack as he moved until he was standing right in Loki's personal space. "Come on, look at me." Tony stooped to look at Loki's lowered face.

Loki moved his hands over his face before Tony could get a good look at his face. The tears finally bubbled over and he wiped at them frantically. What was this feeling? It felt like someone was crushing his chest!

"I don't know why I'm crying," Loki said shakily, forcing back his tears. He wiped the rest of them away angrily.

Tony caught both of his wrists, forcing Loki to look at him. Loki's breath caught when their eyes connected. Tony looked so worried. "I, Tony Stark," he began, "like you, Loki Odinson."

"Stop saying that," Loki pleaded, trying to remove his wrists from Tony's grip.

Without warning, Tony pulled Loki to him, letting go of one wrist in favor of resting his free hand against Loki's jaw line. Loki winced, breathing shallowly.

Tony stilled, studying Loki, while Loki took an extreme interest in Tony's black t-shirt. Loki could feel Tony's breath across his face.

After a moment, Loki began to relax and his shoulders slumped. Finally, he forced his eyes back up at Stark's. Tony's eyes widened briefly and he smiled. Loki breathed out slowly.

"How can I make you believe me?" Tony asked.

Loki sighed, his eyes flickering to Tony's lips and back again. "Damn it, Stark," Loki growled. Before he could change his mind, Loki closed his eyes and pressed his lips to Tony's, instantly relishing in how soft they were. Tony gasped in surprise and parted his lips, allowing Loki to press closer. It was warm and a little weird. Loki had never been kissed before and he wasn't quite sure how it was supposed to happen.

They moved their lips together and Loki stilled suddenly, pulling away in complete embarrassment.

"We definitely need to do that again," Tony said breathlessly. His grip was steady on Loki's wrist but he slowly took his hand away from Loki's cheek, allowing Loki some room to breathe.

Loki pressed his fingers to his lips, a little shell-shocked. Tony looked at him oddly. "That wasn't your first kiss, was it?"

Loki's eyes hardened as he glared half-heartedly at Stark.

"Oh shit, it was!" Stark exclaimed, looking completely flustered and surprised.

Quickly, Loki picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulders. He then picked up Tony's bag and shoved it into his hands wordlessly before moving away from Stark.

"Where are you going?" Tony called after Loki.

He glanced over his shoulder and replied, "I just need some time to think." He really did. This was too fast and too much at once. So before Tony could have a chance to stop him, Loki slipped through the door and raced down the stairs.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tony watched Loki leave, let out a deep breath, full of buzzing nerves, and slumped against the roof's small ledge. He felt weightless and heavy all at once. Loki had kissed him. What did that mean?

And what did Loki mean when he said that he "needed to think?"

Suddenly Tony was feeling a little worried. What if Loki didn't like the kiss? What if Loki really didn't like him that way and he just wanted to try it out? Tony's heart was thumping hard.

He escaped from the roof and caught up with Pepper in the junior's hallway again. Immediately, Tony grabbed her arm, and pulled her a small distance away from Natasha and Clint. The two watch them curiously as he stole Pepper.

"Tony, what is it?" she asked in surprise when they were just a few feet away from their friends.

"Loki kissed me," Tony said in a rush. Pepper squealed in excitement, grabbing onto Tony and shaking him. "This is not a _good_ thing!"

"What? Why? What happened?" she asked. She gestured with her fingers wildly, trying to make him spill the beans faster.

"He kissed me and ran away," Tony said. He leaned back against a locker somberly, shoving his hands into his pockets.

Pepper turned and looked down the hallway, spotting Loki where he was hurriedly shoving his book bag into his locker. "Why don't you go talk to him?" she gestured down the hallway.

Tony's head swung in Loki's direction. He hadn't known that the little bastard had been standing down the hallway this whole time! "See you, Pep," he said, jumping into gear and moving around her in lightning speed.

He marched right up to Loki and cleared his throat loudly, causing Loki to jump in surprise. "Jesus, Stark!" Loki cried. He quickly looked away, grabbed what he needed for his first class, and slammed his locker shut.

"Aren't we going to talk about it?" He asked.

"Talk about what?" Loki replied vaguely.

"You know what!"

"Ah, are we having a lover's quarrel over here?" Fandral asked, appearing at their side suddenly.

"Get the hell out of here!" Tony yelled at him immediately, pointing him down the hallway. He was sick of people interrupting him!

He turned back to Loki but he was already walking away. "Loki!" he called after him just as the bell rang overhead. He cursed internally, realizing he had no time to chase after Loki. Angrily, he turned back to his locker, opened it violently, and shoved everything inside.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It wasn't till later in chemistry when he saw Loki again. He was already seated in the chair in the back and all of the surrounding seats were taken. Fortunately for Tony, Thor was sitting to Loki's immediate left.

Tony went to Thor and placed his hand on the top of the desk, leaning in. "I'm going to need this seat, Thor," he hissed lowly, nodding just slightly at Loki.

Thor glanced from Tony to Loki who was already glaring at his brother, threatening him with his eyes. "Is there something wrong?"

"Why don't you find a new spot?" Tony said, glancing around him. "Why don't you sit next to… Jane!" Jane looked up, surprised to hear her name. "Hey, you don't mind if Thor sits next to you, do you?" Tony grinned slyly, realizing that this was the girl that had been hovering by Thor during his party on Saturday.

She shook her head, wide-eyed. "I don't mind," she said quickly.

"Thor, you don't want to hurt her feelings, do you?" Tony asked, shooing him over to Jane a few rows away.

"Of course not," Thor said just as quickly as Jane. He stood immediately and vacated his seat, moving all of his stuff towards Jane.

Tony slid into the seat, grinning at Loki.

Loki rolled his eyes but remained silent, turning to look at the front of the classroom.

"You're going to have to speak to me eventually," Tony said quietly.

Loki didn't reply, looking perfectly straight ahead.

The rest of the class period consisted of Tony staring at Loki and Loki staring in every other direction. He couldn't figure out why Loki was avoiding him so desperately and he wasn't going to leave him alone until he figured out why.

The bell rang, signaling the end of class and Tony jumped up to follow Loki as he attempted to escape Tony. He raced after Loki who was fast-walking down the hallway.

Suddenly Thanos appeared in front of Loki in the middle of the hallway. Tony sucked in a breath just as Thanos smacked Loki's books to the floor. Loki stood stiffly, looking at his books on the floor.

Tony continued to march his way towards the two and the crowd parted for him, letting him through. "Oh look, your boyfriend came to save you," Thanos taunted loudly.

Loki looked back at Tony and stopped Tony in his tracks with the sad but angry look on his face. Turning back, Loki stooped down and began scooping up his materials.

Tony stayed back until Thanos kicked Loki's books out of his hands for the second time. But before Tony could react, Loki kicked his leg out, tripping Thanos flat onto his face. Loki grinned triumphantly before picking up his books up rapidly and stepping away from Thanos as he began to struggle his way back onto his feet.

"Alright, nothing to see here," Loki hollered at the small crowd, turning to look at all of them with a piercing glare.

What Loki didn't see was Thanos rising up behind him. He aimed a fist at the back of Loki's head…

Tony threw himself in front of Loki and the fist connected with his right eye. Pain burst everywhere and he was clocked backwards.

He must have blacked out because when he opened his eyes, Loki was kneeling by him, clutching at Tony's face with both hands. His mouth was moving and his eyes were full of worry. Tony's ears rang.

The sound tunneled and suddenly he snapped back into reality. There was loud shouting but all he could see was Loki who was leaning over him, asking him repeatedly, "Are you okay?"

He smiled at Loki. "Yeah, Loks. I'm okay."

Loki face was conflicted between smiling and frowning but either way, Loki let out a shaky breath.

"What's going on here?" Fury's voice boomed through the hallway.

The crowd parted and some of the kids disappeared from the scene but Fury had already spotted Loki, Tony, and Thanos. "Blame Thanos!" Loki said immediately, taking his hands off Tony to but kept them close to Tony, resting them on his lap.

"It was Loki," Thanos said childishly.

"Fuck off," Tony said hazily, clutching at his throbbing eye.

Fury turned his dark gaze on Tony briefly. "Language," he said shortly.

"Sorry, head injury," Tony said, gesturing to his eye.

"Alright, who saw this mess?" Fury asked the crowd, ignoring Tony.

The crowd went quiet and suddenly Tony realized what Loki had to go through in the last two years. No one wanted to step up, to oppose what the school bullies had to say.

Luckily, he had Pepper. She didn't even hesitate, stepping out of the ring of students. "Thanos knocked Loki's books from his hands and went to punch him but Tony got in the way," Pepper said monotonously.

"Anyone else?" Fury asked.

"I saw the same thing!" Natasha volunteered. Pepper nodded at her in approval. Instantly, murmurs went through the crowd and Loki looked extremely surprised to have a fight go in his favor.

Fury turned to Thanos and gestured for him to follow. "Thanos, to my office. Could someone take Stark to the nurse's office?"

"I've got him," Loki said, already reaching for Tony's shoulder to help him up. More whispering went through the crowd.

Thanos and Fury disappeared from the hallway and the crowd began to disperse as the bell rang for the next class period. Loki helped him to his feet. "You didn't have to do that," Loki said as he grabbed his and Tony's books from the ground.

"You already have enough bruises," Tony replied, glancing at the fading bruise on Loki's cheek from the party.

Loki broke out in a full grin, laughing and shaking his head. He led the way to the nurse's office but the two kept their eyes shyly on one another. The air was fizzing with energy.

Their destination appeared just at the end of the hallway. Loki laughed again and looked at Tony. "I don't think you've been in a fight before, have you?" Loki asked.

"And I don't think you've had your first kiss before," Tony retorted with a playful smile.

They grinned at each other, stopping right outside of the nurse's office. Tony didn't want to go. He wanted to stay right here with Loki. So, as a daring move on his part, Tony closed the distance between them, pulling Loki into their second kiss of the day. It was short and sweet, lasting only seconds.

He pulled away and grinned. Loki once again looked shell-shocked. "You're not going to ignore me again, are you?" Tony asked, pushing Loki's shoulder fondly.

Loki blinked slowly and looked down. His jet black hair spilled into his face before he looked up again. "No."

"No?" Tony asked. He wanted to be sure before he went to the nurse that Loki would never do something like this again.

"No," Loki said. A smile grew on his face. "Because I like you, too."

Tony pretty much exploded with happiness. "Oh man, I wish I got Jarvis to record that!"

Loki elbowed him in the gut, completely red. Tony loved it. He gathered Loki into a hug and Loki went still, not returning the hug but leaning into it. "I really like you, Loks," he murmured into Loki's hair.

Loki struggled out of his hug, still smiling and red-faced. "You have brain damage. Go to the nurse."

Tony did what he was told but not before he stole one last kiss.


	18. Surprise

Loki moved to lie down on Stark's bed, cradling his head as he fell into the pillow. "So what do we do now?" he asked Stark. Tony sat at the bottom of the bed, leaning back against the wall.

"I don't know. What do you want to do?" Tony pressed a pack of frozen peas to his swollen eye. He winced at the pressure.

"Not tonight," Loki said. "I mean, what are we now? Us?" He pulled himself up onto his elbows to look at Tony.

Tony looked at him with a smile. "Well, obviously this makes us together…"

"So we're—"

"Don't say the 'B' word!" Tony said, pointing at Loki. His face was playful but there was also a warning hidden in it. It unsettled Loki.

Loki stuck out his tongue and dropped back into his pillow. "But that's what we are, right?"

"Yeah," Tony replied softly.

The two dropped into silence. It wasn't uncomfortable. It was more relaxing than anything else. Loki smiled to himself, feeling happier than ever. This whole thing with Stark was scary but it was also exciting. He turned his head slightly to look at Tony, admiring his features. Ever since he'd met Tony, things have just gotten better and better for him. It felt like a dream.

Loki slowly sat up and Tony watched him with his good eye. He crawled over to Tony and Loki sat back on his legs, watching him. "So what do we do now?" Loki repeated his earlier question. He'd never been in relationship. He'd only gotten his first kiss that morning.

Tony shrugged. "I'm not sure."

"Haven't you ever been in a relationship?" Loki asked, tilting his head and frowning.

"Nope." He glanced at Loki but Loki was still frowning. "What?"

"When I was in your closet, your dad was talking about girls in your room…"

Something in Tony's eyes turned distant as he went back into his own memories. "There were a lot of girls…" Loki looked down; he clicked his nails together, feeling suddenly self-conscious. Tony noticed immediately. "It's nothing like that with us," Tony tried to reassure him, touching his arm. "Those girls were just meaningless."

Loki just looked at him. Something foul was settling in the pit of his stomach but he forced a smile, for Tony. He didn't want to do anything to disappoint Tony.

A loud bang echoed somewhere in the house and Loki looked towards the noise, on-edge. "What was that?"

"Just the movers moving Howard's crap in," Tony supplied. He leaned forward and caught Loki's chin, turning him to face him. "You seem distracted."

"I'm fine," Loki said. He wasn't sure if were true anymore. Just a moment ago, Loki was beyond happy, but now he had a feeling of foreboding in the back of his mind. How long until Tony got sick of him?

Tony opened his mouth to say something, but Loki placed his mouth on Tony's to shut him up. He needed to forget his insecurities for a moment. The kiss was rough and hard. Tony snaked his hands up Loki's shirt without warning and Loki gasped, opening his eyes. Loki pulled away. "You're dad's home," Loki reminded Tony, glancing at the door.

"He won't care," Tony said, leaning in for a kiss again.

"What if he walks in?" Loki hissed against his lips.

Tony laughed. "Even if he walked in, he won't give a shit. Never has, never will. Now stop talking." Tony bit Loki's bottom lip playfully.

Instantly Loki gave in, allowing himself to get lost in the sensation of Tony's lips on his. Before he knew it, Tony was pulling Loki into his lip. Tony was hard beneath him and Loki gasped, growing incredibly hot.

Loki tilted his head to the right. Tony took advantage of Loki's hesitation and began kissing down the side of Loki's neck. Every point Tony kissed seared and sent heat through him. Tony kissed back up Loki's neck before shoving his hands back up Loki's shirt, tugging on it.

Taking the cue, Loki leaned away from Tony to strip off the shirt in one fluid motion. Tony watched him; his eyes were hooded with arousal, his face flushed.

Loki closed his eyes and pressed their lips together a second time, now with his bare chest pressing against Tony, and their kiss grew needier, more desperate. "Tony," Loki gasped against Tony. Tony groaned in reply. "Off with the shirt," Loki told him, pulling back and opening his eyes.

Loki watched with heated satisfaction as Tony pulled his black shirt over his head, revealing his lean chest and flat stomach. "Stop staring, more kissing," Tony growled. He grabbed Loki by the waist and pulled him even closer to him. Their hips ground against each other and they kissed deeply.

A knock sounded at the door and Loki frowned, pausing. He pulled away to look at the door. "Stark," he said softly.

"Ignore it," Tony said, trying to go in for another kiss. Loki turned his head and Tony's lips landed on his cheek. Tony huffed unhappily.

Suddenly the door swung open to reveal Howard at the door. Loki gasped, realizing they were caught. "Holy shit," Tony said. Loki launched himself off of Tony immediately and grabbed his shirt off the floor, pulling it on quickly.

Howard seemed to be in shock from what he had just witnessed. Loki, now fully clothed, sat on the edge of the bed a good distance from Tony. "What the hell was that?" Howard asked.

"It's not anything you've never seen before, Dad," Tony said, reaching down slowly to retrieve his own shirt.

"But a _boy_?" Howard asked. He looked enraged. Loki watched Tony's face. Tony looked utterly confused at Howard's words. "Are you trying to ruin my reputation? The company's? What if the tabloids catch wind of this?"

Tony stood and threw his shirt on, glancing briefly at Loki. "You've never got this angry before about—"

"He's a _boy_!" Howard said.

Tony was lost for words.

"I should go," Loki said. He stood but he wasn't sure where to go. Howard was standing in the way of the door and he wasn't about to go out the window.

"No. Loki, stay," Tony said, glaring at his father.

"This is not acceptable," Howard said lowly.

"It's my choice," Tony snapped back.

"You're not gay!"

"So what if I am?" Tony asked. "What would you do then? Send me to boarding school?" Tony's words shot fear up Loki's veins.

Howard's face was turning red with anger. "If it keeps you away from this boy, perhaps I will," Howard yelled at his son.

Loki flew to his feet before he knew it was happening. Both Starks looked at him curiously. "I'm leaving."

"I'll escort you out," Howard replied.

Tony stepped in front of Loki. "He's not leaving."

"Yes, I am," Loki said, walking around Tony. His heart was racing as he walked towards Howard and his icy gaze. "It won't happen again," he told Howard, glancing back at Tony.

Tony was beyond angry but Loki nodded surreptitiously at him, trying to signal to him that it would be okay. He went out into the hallway and Howard immediately followed him, closing Tony's door behind him.

It was like the walk of shame; completely humiliating. Now Tony's dad knew about them and he didn't know what that would mean for them. Loki weaved past the movers in the hallway, avoiding the bed they were trying to wedge through the narrow doorway.

Loki went to the front door, put his hand on the knob, but Howard held the door shut, making it impossible for him to leave. "It won't be long before Tony tosses you aside, too."

Loki looked at him. He wanted nothing more than to throttle him, but he wasn't going to risk the possibility of Tony going to boarding school. Instead, Loki clenched his teeth and said nothing.

Howard continued, "He's had one after another, and just because you're a boy, doesn't mean you're any different. Tony will get sick of you and throw you away."

His heart clenched painfully and he looked away from Howard. Loki wanted to believe Tony wouldn't do that, but something wasn't letting him believe it.

"You should stay away from him," Howard said.

Loki breathed out slowly before he nodded his head. There was no way he would actually stay away from Tony, but he had to agree to get out of this blasted house. Howard took his hand off of the door and Loki left in a flash.

As he raced across their lawns, Loki felt his phone vibrate in his pocket but he didn't pause to look at it. He could still feel Howard's eyes on him as he walked the few steps to his own home.

When he reached the door, it swung open before he could even touch it, revealing Thor in a clean blue button-up shirt. He looked way too well groomed for any normal day.

"You're back!" Thor boomed happily. He didn't notice the apprehensive look clouding Loki's face. "I have a date with Jane tonight, so please tell mother I will not be at dinner."

Loki smiled, glad someone in his messed up family was getting things right. "That's great, Thor," he told him.

Thor beamed and continued past Loki. "I got to go!" But then he paused, looking back at Loki. "Is that rumor true about you and Tony?"

Loki glanced back at Tony's house, noticing Howard still watching him through the window. "Yeah, but don't tell anyone," Loki hissed at Thor.

A wide grin appeared on Thor's face and he slapped Loki hard on the back. "Congrats, brother! You two are perfect for each other!"

Loki shrugged away from Thor and waved him aside. "Just go on your date, you big oaf."

"Remember to tell mother!" Thor called after him as Loki escaped into the comfort of their home.

He closed the door behind him and pressed his back against it, staring at the floor. His phone buzzed again. Sighing, Loki took out his phone and opened the messages.

**_Are you okay?_ **

**_What happened? Did he say anything to you?_ **

Loki bit his lip and replied: _Fine, nothing to worry about._

His phone buzzed seconds later. **_I'm coming over._**

Loki heard a thump upstairs and he glared at the ceiling. He was just glad no one else was home.

Loki sprinted up the stairs to his room and skidded inside to find Stark already waiting on his bed. "What are you doing here?" Loki asked, crossing the room to look out the window above his bed. He didn't see Howard, so he promptly pulled the curtains closed.

"My dad's an asshole."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean you should come over just after he chewed us out about everything!"

Tony pouted playfully. "I was hoping we could continue where we left off," Tony said excitedly. He pulled Loki onto the bed by his waist but Loki kicked him, causing Tony release his grip. "Hey that hurt!" Tony cried.

Loki blew out an angry breath but sat carefully across from Stark. He set a serious gaze on Tony. "We're going to have to keep us a secret," he told Tony.

"What did Howard say to you?"

"It's just not just him; it's also everyone at school…"

Tony watched Loki closely and Loki stared back. Even if Tony did get sick of him down the road, he wanted to have a little time to their selves. He didn't need the whole school picking apart their every move together. This had to be a secret.

"Okay, Loks," Tony said with soft eyes. He tried to move into Loki's space but he paused with a frown. "But it's weird. My father had never cared about anything I've done besides my melt down when Mom died…"

"Well, we better not do anything else like that again while Howard is around," Loki said.

"But pissing Howard is the best," Tony said with a wild grin. "Did you see his face when he saw us? Priceless!" Tony tried to lean into Loki again but Loki stopped him with a hand on his chest.

"Don't you think we're moving fast?" Loki didn't find it as funny as Tony. Howard seriously scared him but to Tony, it just seemed like some kind of game.

Tony grinned. "What's the fun of moving slow?"

Loki wanted to argue, but the look on Tony's face made his heart race. It was a soft, affection gaze. Tony grabbed Loki's hand, slipped it off his chest, and pressed their foreheads together. "We don't have to do anything you don't want to," Tony told him.

Loki melted; his lips twitched into a smile. "Well, we could still make out." Tony grinned. "But we're keeping our clothes on."

Tony groaned, dropping his head onto Loki's shoulder dramatically. "But Loki…" he whined.

"Get over it," Loki said, rolling his eyes.

Tony sat up straight but paused, looking at the wall. The ACDC poster Tony had given Loki was hanging there, right over his bed. "But you said you hated ACDC."

Loki pushed him onto his back and climbed on top of him. "Yeah, but I like you."

"Aw, you're cute," he said, tugging a lock of Loki's hair.

Loki knocked his hand away, glaring at him. "Shut up, Stark."

Tony whistled. "Talking dirty, Loks?"

"You're an ass," Loki laughed.

Tony scooped Loki up and flipped him over onto his back. Tony hovered over him. Loki's breath caught. "You really know how to turn a guy on," Tony told him.

He rolled his eyes. "Just kiss me already."

Tony laughed, completely carefree. He held Loki down and leaned in, kissing him lightly on the lips.

Yes, Loki could get used to this. He smiled into Tony's lips and filed this memory away. He wanted this feeling to last forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter and the next chapter will be more of the feel-good kind. Chapter 20 though...


	19. Midnight

"Your dad is watching us," Loki told Tony, pausing by Tony's car. Howard was standing in the living room window, watching them with dark eyes. His glare ran angry shivers up Loki's spine.

"Isn't it wonderful?" Tony asked. He leaned over and latched an arm around Loki's waist and pushing him gently against the car. "This is the most my dad has ever paid attention me in years."

Tony looked genuinely happy about it, too. He had this sadistic grin on his face but he wasn't looking at Loki, he was smiling at his dad as he pushed himself up against Loki. Loki followed Tony's gaze to Howard and winced when Howard's sharp gaze grew colder.

"Stop pissing your dad off," Loki said, pushing Stark away from him. Once he was free, Loki climbed into the car, sitting stiffly, and tried to avoid Howard's heavy stare.

Tony joined him seconds later, cranking on the classic rock, and smiling as he backed out of the driveway. He caught Loki's sullen look and his smile turned more sympathetic.

"I thought we were keeping us a secret?" Loki scolded Tony.

"Dad already knows. I like to see him stew in his own self-pity."

"But he might send you to boarding school," Loki said. Loki felt completely vulnerable. Tony was his lifeline, but he didn't need Tony to know how much he would be lost without him. Loki bit his lip, turning his gaze out the window.

Tony laughed. "Empty threat! Howard would never do that!"

"He sent you here," Loki said, looking at him.

He shrugged. "Because I wanted to get out of the limelight." He glanced at Loki and nudged him with the heel of his palm. "Come on. Cheer up, Loks! Today is our first day of being a couple!"

Loki couldn't help it; he smiled at Tony and felt himself relax a bit. "But we're keeping a secret, right?"

"Yes, you've asked me about million times," Tony said. "But that doesn't mean we can't make out in a supplies closet!"

Loki shook his head. "Not happening, Stark."

Tony whined the whole way to school.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tony and Loki had separated before school because Tony needed to get his updated grades for his father while Loki went to his locker like usual. Tony had just procured everything his father needed, when he was stopped in the hallway by a group of girls that he'd never seen before.

"Is it true that you're dating Loki?" one of the three asked him. They looked eager to know the answer. They were doe-eyed, attractive girls, but probably freshman judging by their features.

Tony shifted his weight onto his right leg, annoyed. "No, we're not," he told them, trying to keep his promise to Loki. "Spread the word!"

He tried to move around the girls but one stopped him, grabbing onto his arm. He raised his eyebrows at her. "So you're single?" she asked, flipping her short, brown hair.

Tony wanted to snort at her awkward display but he just pried her small fingers off his arm kindly. "Single but not looking."

The blonde suddenly moved into his space, only inches from his chest. "Whoa, personal space," he told her. He went to move her but suddenly she placed both of her hands on his hips and trailed them towards the inside of Tony's thighs, moving uncomfortably close to place he didn't want her to go. "Hey, hands off," he told her, jumping out of her touch.

"You want to go out sometime?" the blonde asked boldly.

"No, I'll take a rain check," Tony replied, looking for an escape route. He quickly pushed past the girls, disappearing down the hall to his first class.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He recounted his experience to Loki and their friends at lunch. They all ended up laughing at him, even Loki. "Hey, it was a traumatic experience!" Tony said.

"Looks like the ladies really have it out for you!" Clint told Tony.

Tony glanced at Loki briefly. "Yeah, I guess so."

"You guess so?" Clint exclaimed, in shock. "I used to see these articles on you about how you showed up at public events with a different girl on your arm every time!"

"A couple of those times were me," Pepper said, raising her hand a bit. Everyone looked at her. "Ew, not that way," she amended. "As friends. Tony would buy me a fancy dress and we'd go out on the town."

"I think you should seriously buy us some stuff," Clint said. Natasha nodded her agreement and the group laughed.

Tony snuck another glance at Loki, who looked back with a half smile. He guessed he could have told Loki that bit of information before he found out in a casual conversation with his friends. But surprisingly, Loki still looked okay.

"Well, I've turned a new leaf," Tony told them.

"Don't tell me those rumors are true," Clint said. He looked between Tony and Loki.

Loki glared at Clint. "Do you want another black eye?"

Tony cut in, knowing that two were about to get into another argument, saying, "Hey, Loki, black eyes are not fun. Believe me," he said pointing to his own face. "Besides, the rumors are completely false. Loki's my friend and friends borrow friends' clothes after they've had vodka dumped over their heads. I don't know why everyone is making a big deal out of it."

Pepper had a knowing look in her eye but Clint and Natasha bought it. "We figured it wasn't true," Natasha said. "Too many rumors go around this place."

"Who we really should start a rumor about," Clint said, gesturing to a table across the lunch room, "is Steve and Bucky."

They all turned to look at the two who were sitting at an empty table in the middle. Steve, once again, was talking animatedly while Bucky listened with a small smile.

Loki stood, returning their attention to him. "I'm going to dump my tray."

Tony glanced at Loki's tray. His food was picked over; it was nothing like Tony's which was completely scraped clean of any food. It was chicken nugget day for crying out loud!

"I'll come with," Tony said immediately, standing with Loki. He saluted their small group and turned on his heal to follow Loki over to the trash.

"You okay?" Tony asked as they went to the trash, dumping everything inside.

Loki seemed confused. "Why wouldn't I be?" he asked, discarding his tray onto the stack.

"The girls…?" he reminded Loki, placing his own tray into the stack. They walked out into the hallway where it was more silent and there were fewer students.

Loki scoffed. "I refuse to be jealous of things in your past or those pitiful girls."

He looked serious, so Tony shrugged, believing him. "Glad you got to laugh at my misery."

Loki laughed and Tony felt his heart flutter. Being with Loki was exhilarating. Tony knew the feeling could be just because of their new-found relationship, but he was convinced it was more. He'd never cared about another soul as much as he did about Loki, not even Pepper.

"We should do something tonight," Tony said. "We'll meet on the roof after my dad goes to bed."

Loki's eyes lit up. "Got something in mind?"

"It's a surprise."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Loki pushed open his father's office, feeling scandalous just for touching the door. He was thankful no one was home; Thor was with Jane, Frigga was preparing lesson plans, and Odin worked late. So there was no one to stop him from entering his father's office after school.

He walked into the unfamiliar room, looking around cautiously. He'd only been into this room a number of times.

Reaching the desk, Loki scanned the messy piles of documents as he looked for his computer. Odin had taken away his laptop a while back but still hadn't returned it. Loki was determined to use it during his father's short absense.

It wasn't on Odin's desk, but he found it sitting on a table opposite of the desk. He picked it up tentatively and opened it up. After logging on, Loki went to the internet, pulled up Google, and typed in _Tony Stark_. Dozens of news articles popped up about Tony, most of them talking about his mother's death, Tony's melt downs and his many appearances with girls at events after. Because Tony was only fifteen at the time, he was headline news.

Loki scrolled some more, fascinated by all of the information. He came upon one article that particularly caught his eye and he opened it, reading. It talked about how Howard had sent his son away to a mystery town. His location was undisclosed.

Loki was surprised. Tony was big news in their small town. Surely someone could have told the news! But then again, Howard could pay the tabloids off so they would not mention his son.

As Loki read on, he began to notice how far Tony's popularity spanned. He was Howard's son and heir of one of the country's most famous companies. Loki wondered how he hadn't heard of Tony before he came to his town.

Not wanting to read more, Loki shut everything down and closed his laptop.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Loki waited out on his rooftop just around midnight. The sky was clear tonight and Loki looked up at the stars, fascinated. One of Loki's interests, besides Harry Potter and chemistry, was astronomy. He felt connected to the stars in an odd way.

The September air was cooler at night, so Loki wore a plain black zip-up hoodie. He pressed his arms into his self to keep warm.

Across from him, Tony's window rolled up and Tony scrambled through the window. It was dark, so Loki couldn't really see too much of Tony, but he smiled with excitement. "Hey," Loki said.

"Hey," Tony said just as softly. He closed his window and turned to Loki, launching across the gap. He landed with a thud on Loki's roof. Both winced at the noise that sounded so loud in the silent night.

They breathed quietly, listening for any noises in either of their houses. After a moment, Tony stood and balanced across the roof to the edge that faced the backyard. "Follow me," Tony whispered. "We're going to shimmy down the drainpipe."

Loki followed Tony to the edge and watched worriedly as Tony eased himself over the side. He stepped onto an edge of the drainpipe that was screwed into the side of the house. Luckily, further down was a tree that branched out towards the house. Tony reached down and stepped onto the tree branch. It creaked quietly but he transferred onto the tree successfully.

He turned back to Loki and gestured for him to follow. "Don't worry, I'll guide you," Tony said.

Loki sat down on the edge and reached with his foot for the small ledge that Tony had used. He breathed slowly and his nose pinched in concentration. Finally, he touched the small ledge and eased down. He barely had a grip on the roof and it felt like he was going to plunge to his death, but he moved down further, stepping onto Tony's branch.

Tony moved back on the branch but held out his hand for Loki. Loki took it and Tony pulled him slowly towards him by the base of the tree. "Now this is the easy part," Tony told him.

The two dropped out the tree a moment later and Loki smiled, proud of his self. He'd never thought of climbing down his house that way.

Tony led the way across the lawn and steered them to his car. His keys jingled when he pulled from his pocket and unlocked the doors.

They both slid into the car and Tony started the engine, immediately turning off the stereo before the music could play. No lights came on in either house, so they knew they were safe.

Soon they pulled into the quiet streets, driving through town in silence. Tony didn't turn on the radio and Loki silently relished in it. There were no distractions from each other in that moment.

Their town consisted of about 12,000 people. It wasn't terribly small and it wasn't run down, but there wasn't a lot to do in their area. It had the small town feeling, being in the middle of no where.

It took only minutes to move out of town and they were surrounded by corn fields on all sides. They were the only car on this road out of town. "Where are we going?" Loki asked. There wasn't anything in this direction that they could be heading to.

"We're almost there," Tony said.

Not long after, Tony pulled into a little dirt road in the middle of the cornfield and pulled down the bumpy road. Not far inside, in a small clearing, Tony cut the engine and looked over at Loki with a wide smile.

"Come on," he said. They opened their doors and were exposed to the cool night.

Immediately, Loki sucked in breath. The stars were so bright out here. They were stunning, glowing in bright bursts overhead. It was so much clearer than in town. "Wow," Loki breathed, looking up at it all.

He looked briefly at Tony. "Do you like it?" Tony asked, gesturing at the sky with his open hand.

"What, the stars?" Loki asked. "Or you?"

"Both," Tony said.

Loki moved closer, leaning against the hood of Tony's car. "I like both, of course."

Tony grabbed Loki's hand and climbed up onto the hood of his car; Loki followed him and they sat down on the hood. Delicately, Tony leaned back against the windshield, pulling Loki with him. They lay shoulder to shoulder, gazing up at the stars.

It was so beautiful. Loki was bursting with emotion. "How did you know I like stars?" he asked. He turned his head to find Tony already looking at him.

"Saw all of your books in your room."

"And how did you find this place?"

Tony shrugged. "Pepper mentioned it one time. I'm actually surprised that you've haven't been here before."

"Didn't get out much." Loki turned his head back to look at the stars. He smiled when he spotted Saturn. He pointed it out to Tony, telling him a few facts about it and the constellations around it.

"You're adorable," Tony said after Loki's lengthy explanation of where to find Leo from Ursa Major.

Loki's laugh was breathy and content. He said nothing but instead scooted a little closer to Tony; Tony responded by wrapping his arm around Loki.

They watched the stars for hours after.


	20. Downward Spiral

Two weeks flashed by in a blur and Tony couldn't help but grin during every minute of the day. He and Loki were dating and had been for the last two weeks. Everything was going smoothly.

Star gazing was kind of their thing now. They went almost every night, even though it made them incredibly tired in the morning. It just seemed weird if they didn't go. Loki was Tony's addiction and he wasn't about to go cold turkey.

Even things at school were better. Despite the cold stares the two were receiving, Tony felt pretty good about everything. No one had tried to touch Loki at all since Thanos was sentenced to a week of detention. The student body still treated Loki like trash but it didn't seem to bother Loki. All of his attention was focused on Tony, so Tony couldn't really complain.

It was early Wednesday morning, around 2 am, when Tony came clambering back through his window after another rendezvous with Loki. He'd kissed Loki on his roof before jumping across to his own. When he rolled up his window, he froze.

Howard was standing in his room, in the dark, watching him with tight eyes. Tony's heart began to pound at a mile a minute. "Hey," Tony said weakly. Tony's eyes darted back to Loki but Loki had already disappeared into his room.

"What are you doing up so late?" Tony asked casually as he hoisted his self over the window sill and into his room.

"Cut the crap," Howard said. It was kind of scary to see Howard with such an angry look on his face but it was also exhilarating. Howard's attention had been seriously lacking in the last few years, so this anger was almost welcomed by Tony. "You were out with that boy again."

Howard had disappeared over the last week and a half, but he'd returned suddenly yesterday to "check in" on Tony. "His name is Loki," Tony corrected him, grinning at his father. "And yes I was. What are you going to do about it?"

His father glared at him and crossed his arms.

Tony laughed. "Yeah, nothing. I thought so."

Howard's lips twitched up slightly. "You know what I'm capable of," Howard said.

Tony paused. He didn't really know what Howard was implying.

"You will stop seeing him," Howard continued. "Otherwise, you will pay the consequences."

"So ominous!" Tony taunted back but his father's smile remained steady on his face.

"Good night, Tony," Howard said. He left the room, leaving Tony alone with his thoughts.

Tony sat down on his bed, frowning, wondering what Howard thought he could do to Tony. If Howard thought he could simply send Tony to a different school, he would have to think again.

Lying down on his bed, Tony picked up his phone and plugged earphones in. "Jarvis, play something slow on low volume."

Jarvis confirmed his request before playing a song while Tony silently stared at the ceiling. After a moment, he smiled. If Howard wanted to play that game, he would gladly play along. In fact, he wanted to see how far he could push Howard. This was going to be fun.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Loki went to school early the next morning with Thor, not wanted to bother Tony after staying up so late last night. Loki needed to talk with his history teacher about the assignment due the next day. He was having a bit of trouble with it, seeing as history was his worst subject. The subject matter was just so boring! Why would he care about people that are already dead?

At his locker, Loki hesitated, glancing around the almost empty hallway warily. Taking a deep breath, Loki opened it to reveal exactly what he expected. A small folded up note sat on the top of his books, slipped in through the slots at the top of his locker. It sat there menacingly while Loki stared at it with a glare.

He put his backpack down on the floor and reached for the note, unfolding it slowly. There were only a few words on the page, written in scribbled handwriting. Another death threat.

Really? Loki crumpled up the note and threw it to the back of his locker in the small pile of six or seven others. The notes had been increasing and had started only last week. It was ridiculous and childish.

But somehow, it put Loki on edge. He glanced again around the hallway suspiciously. To be honest, the history assignment was only part of why Loki came early today. The main reason was that he wanted to see if he could beat the note sender to school. That way, he could catch the person in the act. But it looked like he was out of luck.

Loki sighed, exchanging things from his backpack and his locker. Things had gotten worse since Thanos's detention sentence. He could feel it all weighing on him. Over the last two weeks, he'd been getting these weird looks from people around him. Loki especially noticed that Thanos kept giving him a strange smile that promised the worst was yet to come. He had something planned and it was probably coming soon, Loki was sure of it.

Loki's hand shook as he picked up his history textbook. He paused somberly. He knew that Tony hadn't noticed the increasing hostility, but that was only because the kids were being sneaky about it. Loki was happy to keep it this way, though. It was something Loki could handle. He wasn't about to jeopardize everything he'd built with Tony just because of a few meaningless notes. He could see that Tony was happy and he wasn't going to ruin that.

He liked it better when there were fist fights.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Loki was often quiet at lunch, but this was entirely unlike him. Tony glanced at Loki inquisitively and watched as Loki stared down at his mashed potatoes, pushing it around without eating any of it.

Pepper and Natasha were currently discussing a new movie they'd just seen, so the table was full of chatter. Going unnoticed by the rest of the table, Tony snaked a hand over to Loki and let his hand linger across Loki's lower back. Tony was grateful that their backs were to the wall, so no one would catch what Tony was doing.

At Tony's touch, Loki looked up in surprise. Some unknown emotion danced in Loki's eyes before he grinned at Tony. Tony wanted to ask if anything was wrong but instead, he slipped his hand away from Loki and smiled back.

He looked over to see Pepper watching them with her own small smile. She definitely knew about their relationship, especially since she had forced Tony to discuss the details for a good half hour after school one day. Tony smiled wider, remembering how red Loki when he'd bragged to Pepper about him.

"Okay, you two have got to be dating," Natasha interrupted Tony's thoughts. Her eyes darted between the two with a half smile. "I mean, the way the two of you look at each other."

Tony and Loki looked at each other, communicating silently. Loki looked flustered, so Tony gave him a reassuring smile.

"Like that!" Natasha exclaimed. "What you did right there!"

"What?" Tony asked. He couldn't help it; he snuck another look at Loki.

Pepper rested her cheek in her hand, watching them fondly. "Tony, you are just making it more obvious."

"So you are dating!" Natasha cried.

"Not so loud," Tony hissed at her.

"We called it, didn't we?" Clint said to Natasha.

She nodded enthusiastically. "Totally called it."

Loki laughed, a real laugh, and Tony swung to face him in surprise. Loki had been quiet all day and this laugh was a great turn of events.

"Aw, you guys are adorable," Natasha teased.

"Isn't he?" Tony said, nudging Loki.

Loki rolled his eyes. "I hate all of you."

Tony was going to snap back at him but suddenly Steve and Bucky appeared by the table, standing a little behind Loki. Steve had a confused look on his face while Bucky looked more business like.

"Hey guys!" Pepper greeted. "Are you finally going to join us for once?"

Steve shrugged, glancing at Bucky. "Bucky wants to talk to Loki."

Loki and Bucky were already looking at each other, not saying anything but silently communicating. It was a bit like how Tony and Loki usually communicated at school and it irked Tony. An irrational flare of jealousy twisted through his chest.

Loki stood without a word, leaving his tray, and followed Bucky away from the table. Tony turned back to Steve. "What is that about?"

Steve shook his head, dropping into Loki's seat. "Not sure. Bucky just said that he really needed to talk to Loki but he wouldn't tell me what it was about."

Tony glanced over his shoulder again, wondering where the two had gone.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Bucky led Loki into the bathroom. It was empty except for their own steps which echoed off the tile. "So what's this about?" Loki asked, turning to face Bucky.

Crossing his arms, Bucky leaned up against one of the sinks with a grim expression. "I heard through the grapevine that Thanos is planning something against you."

Loki nodded. It was new information but he wasn't at all surprised. "I figured. I've been getting these notes…"

"Notes?" Bucky asked, frowning. "From Thanos?"

"Not sure," Loki told him honestly. "They keep showing up in my locker and the handwriting isn't always the same… Did you hear what he's planning on doing?"

"No," Bucky said. "But you've got to be prepared."

Loki steeled himself. "I've got it under control."

"Do you? Because this sounds serious. This isn't a fight in the hallway…"

"I can handle it," Loki said, glaring at Bucky. "You of all people should know that. Thanos is just an ass. I can outsmart him on any given day."

Bucky looked genuinely worried. "Look. I know I haven't been a very good friend over the last few years…"

Loki snorted. "Understatement."

"…But I'm here for you now. If you need someone to help you kick Thanos's ass, I'll be there, got it?"

Loki nodded slowly, watching Bucky's face. He seemed serious and extremely determined to help Loki out. It was strange. "If Thanos starts trouble, you'll be the first to know," Loki said. Bucky would be handy to have in a fight.

"Still got my number?" Bucky asked.

Loki smiled crookedly. "Yeah, I've got it." Loki had never deleted it.

"And I've got yours," Bucky said with a smile. "Come on, let's get back before they get suspicious." Loki followed him out of the bathroom, feeling suddenly a little better about things.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"What did Bucky want to talk to you about?" Tony asked on their ride home. His tone was laced with suspicion.

Loki leaned back in his seat casually, kicking his feet up onto the dashboard. "Nothing, really. Just trying to make things right after two years of being an asshole."

Tony nodded before pushing Loki's feet off the dash. "Did you forgive him?"

"Not a chance," Loki said. "I'm going to make him grovel a bit more." Something squeezed at Loki's heart as he smoothly lied to Tony. He didn't like being dishonest with Tony, but he had to in order to keep Tony happy. He didn't want Tony worrying about him.

Tony laughed in response as he pulled onto their street. "Do you want to come over for a while?"

Loki tilted his head. "Isn't your dad back?"

"Yeah, but he won't be back till late tonight."

Loki smiled. "Yeah, why not."

Tony grinned and pulled into his driveway. "We can watch a movie or something."

After getting out of the car, Loki followed Tony into his house. He glanced with a frown at Howard's car in the driveway. "I thought you said your dad isn't home."

"He's not," Tony said with a reassuring smile. Loki wasn't convinced but he dropped his backpack by the front and kicked his shoes off nonetheless.

Tony led the way into the living room and plopped down on the couch, grabbing for the remote. Loki followed a little more slowly. He listened for any signs of Howard being in the house but could only hear the sudden blast of the TV.

He sat down by Tony and glanced over their shoulders. His veins were buzzing with adrenaline. The notes and what Bucky told him were getting to him. And now, with the added stress of being in Howard's house, Loki was wreck. But he kept silent as he scooted closer to Stark. His muscles were tense.

If on cue, a pair of feet sounded on the staircase, and Loki looked to Tony in horror. But Tony was smiling, looking at the door like he was expecting this.

"Tony, I heard from my assistant that-" Howard didn't finish his sentence. He froze as soon as he came around the corner, looking at the two boys on the couch.

"Hi, Pops," Tony greeted with a salute. Loki, beyond anything else, wanted to strangle Stark. "You remember Loki, right?" he asked, gesturing to Loki without really looking at him. "My boyfriend?"

Loki could feel Howard's rage. His face slammed into a threatening frown. "Tony, we talked about this."

Tony shrugged. "I'm not afraid of you. I can do whatever I want." This wasn't a real argument, though, Loki realized. Tony was smiling. It wasn't like a fight between Loki and Odin where it was all screaming and hatred and red-faced anger.

Tony turned his smile on Loki but Loki looked at him, angry. Tony's smile wavered just slightly.

"I warned you against this," Howard said lowly, watching the two.

Tony laughed haughtily. "You can't do anything to me. You're not sending me to boarding school or anything else! Can't you get that through your thick skull?" Suddenly, without warning, Tony turned and pressed Loki into a hard, rough kiss.

Loki gasped in surprise but immediately pushed Tony away, pressing a hand over his lips. Tony was smiling sadistically at his father.

Loki felt beyond betrayed. He stood abruptly and marched around Tony, not caring if Tony followed or not. Marching right past Howard, without making eye contact, Loki went to the front to shove his feet back into his shoes. "Loki!" Tony called from behind him.

With his shoes on as quickly as possible, Loki grabbed his backpack and slammed out the front door. The door swung open a second time as Tony followed him. "Loki, wait."

Loki spun to face him. "You were using me to piss of your dad?" Loki yelled at him.

Tony smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry?"

"Not good enough, Stark," Loki snapped back. He started marching away but Tony caught his wrist, trying to pull Loki back. Loki kicked him in the shin. His emotions were all over the place as he watched Tony clutch at his leg, swearing under his breath. "You knew that he was home, didn't you?"

Tony's smile was gone. He stood up with his hands splayed out as if he were going to touch Loki. Loki moved so he was just out of Tony's reach. Tony rubbed the back of his neck. "So, yeah, I did know he was home…"

Loki clenched his teeth and turned on his heel again and continued his walk to his house. Tony caught up to him and walked by his side. Loki refused to look at him. "Loks, come on. My dad never notices anything about me! I just thought that-"

Loki stopped just outside his door, glaring everywhere but Tony. "You don't get to use me in a fight against your dad, Stark." He looked at Tony, deflating. "Why would you even want to fight with him?"

Tony didn't reply and Loki didn't expect him to, ignoring the dumb look of realization on Tony's face. Loki just went inside, not knowing how to feel anymore.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Tony fucked up big time. He realized this as soon as the agonized look appeared on Loki's face before he disappeared into his house. Tony's heart ached as he was left on Loki's front lawn.

Why did he do that to Loki? He hadn't even thought of Loki's feelings. Holy shit, he was a terrible person.

"Fuck," Tony said aloud, scuffing his shoes against the sidewalk. Now what?

Tony slunk back to his house as he took out his phone, texting Loki. He said at least four apologies before he made it through his front door.

Howard, the bastard, looked absolutely smug. "Did he break up with you?"

"Fuck off," Tony said, escaping up the stairs to his room. His heart thumped. What if Loki did break up with him? What would he do then?

Tony went to his window and threw it open. He stuck his head out, looked across the gap, and spotted Loki as he jumped face down on his bed. "Loki!" Tony called to him.

Loki promptly looked up, glared, and shut his blinds, leaving Tony to wallow in his own self hatred. Dear god, what if Loki did break up with him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tony, why'd you have to be so dumb? I feel bad for the both of them.


	21. Uncertainty

Loki lay in his bed all night. He ignored all calls and texts from Tony, determined to wallow in his self-pity. Even when the clock approached midnight, the appointed time he and Tony always snuck out to their cornfield, Loki just laid still. There was a thump on his side of his roof and Loki tensed, glancing at his curtains. His curtains were firmly pulled shut. There was no way to sneak a peak inside the curtains, so really he was safe, but Loki couldn't help the speeding of his heart.

A soft knock was tapped against his window. Loki sat up slowly and stared at his window, debating. He didn't want to ignore Stark, he really didn't, but that was a dick move! Loki was sick of being used and dumped on. Yes, he decided, he needed to let Tony suffer tonight.

The knocking came a second time and Loki sighed, covering his face in his hands. He waited. The tapping didn't come a third time. Footsteps crept away from his window and he heard the familiar thump of Stark landing back on his own roof. Loki rolled over.

Loki tried to sleep but all he could hear was the agonizing tick, tick, tick of his clock in the silence of his room. Frustrated, Loki sat up and moved his curtain aside, looking over at Tony's window. The room was dark but the curtains were clearly open and there was a piece of paper taped to Tony's window.

Squinting, Loki tried to make out the words. He rolled up the window and leaned out. _Sorry,_ it read.

Loki smiled despite himself and went to bed.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tony was surprised to see Loki standing by his car the next morning. Judging by Loki's refusal to come outside last night, Tony had thought he would have to hunt Loki down at school. He smiled, unsure of himself, and approached Loki.

Loki looked up. There were bags under his eyes and his skin looked a bit pale. He looked exhausted. "Are you okay, Loks?" Tony asked instead of a greeting.

"Don't talk, just drive," Loki said quietly. He waited as Tony unlocked his car before slipping inside.

Tony sat down more slowly, starting his engine while watching Loki. He didn't dare turn on the radio, especially when Loki looked that physically exhausted. As they backed out of the driveway, Loki rested his head against the car window, sighing.

Tony wanted to say something, anything! But he waited patiently as he drove, hoping that Loki would initiate the conversation. Lucky for him, Loki turned to him after a few minutes. "You're an asshole," Loki said.

Ouch, he deserved that. Tony's fingers tightened on his steering wheel but he nodded. "I know."

"Don't do that again."

"I know."

Loki huffed and slumped in his seat, not looking any happier.

Tony bit his lip. "So, are we okay?"

Loki gaped at him.

"I'm taking that as a no?" Tony said with a frown, thoroughly confused.

Loki studied him. "We're fine, I guess."

"You guess?"

Loki nodded, looking away. He was still clearly pissed. Anyone could see that. Tony pulled into the school parking lot.

"Look, I'm sorry," Tony said as he parked. He turned to face Loki, looking him right in the way. "I would never intentionally hurt you."

Something wavered in Loki's eyes that looked like uncertainty. Even that little bit of doubt in Loki's mind hit Tony right in the gut. He'd broken Loki's trust and he hated himself for it. "Yeah, I know," Loki said finally.

Tony wanted to touch Loki but he didn't dare. Instead they both headed into the school.

Something that bothered Tony was that once they got their lockers, Loki hesitated outside of his own, staring at it warily. Tony frowned but opened his own locker, keeping an eye on Loki as he did so.

When Loki did open his locker, he shoved his stuff inside quickly, without even slowing down, and slammed in shut. He sighed distastefully. Loki's been doing that a lot lately.

"Got something against your locker?" Tony asked.

"Just need to be somewhere," Loki said. He swung his backpack onto his shoulder and walked away without a second glance. Loki was closing him off, Tony realized.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Gym was usually an uneventful class for Loki. In fact, Loki loathed how boring it was. Throwing a ball around, running laps? Why bother!

Thanos was in his class, of course, but that had never been a problem for Loki. Thanos was usually preoccupied with the sports activities that Loki hated so much. Well, until today.

Loki popped open his gym locker and frowned. His gym clothes were lying in shreds at the bottom of the locker. Someone had taken a scissors to it, shredding his clothes to pieces. Loki bit his lip, tilted his head back, and tried to breathe steadily through his noise. Loki's chest flared and his hands shook.

Around him, he heard students laugh quietly, all in on the joke. That sent Loki's anger boiling over. Turning on his heel, Loki marched over to Thanos who looks especially amused. "What the hell is your problem?"

Thanos laughed. "Why are you asking me? I didn't do anything!" Loki knew better. Thanos was grinning widely with a hint of pride. Loki knew that he did this.

Loki threw a punch right at Thanos's face, hitting him right in his cheek. Momentarily, Loki felt the zinging exhilaration of the fight and his hand tingled with satisfying pain. Then he realized, Thanos was gearing up to fight back.

"Shit," Loki laughed, dodging out of the way just in time. Loki moved to run when he realized he was surrounded by Thanos's friends, all smiling with malice.

Thanos waved them off. "I've got him."

"Don't think I can take you in a fight?" Loki asked, glaring at him steadily. The other boys gathered around them, leaving a circular clearing in which Loki and Thanos stood.

"I know so," Thanos replied smugly.

Loki wanted to bash Thanos's face in. Suddenly, Thanos was lunging at him. Loki didn't have a chance to move out of the way. Thanos crashed into Loki, throwing both of them to the ground. Surprisingly, Loki didn't hit his head, so he still had enough energy to kick Thanos off of him.

His foot struck Thanos straight in the gut and he went down with a gasp. Loki threw himself to his feet. Before anyone else could react, Loki pushed his way out of the locker room.

He decided to skip gym today.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

When Loki didn't show up for lunch, Tony grew worried. Was it because of him? Was Loki really that mad?

He pushed around his food on his tray, distracted, trying to think up a single reason why Loki wouldn't be there. "Where's Loki?" Pepper asked, setting her tray down on the opposite side of the table.

Tony dropped his fork and scrubbed his hands over his face. "I have no fucking clue."

"What did you do to him?" Pepper asked softly.

"Why do you always think I'm the one to mess things up?" Tony asked in annoyance. He glared at her.

She shrugged. "You've always been that way."

"Well didn't you used to hate Loki?" Tony's voice took a threatening edge. He still didn't like to think bout how his friends used to be part of the group that hated Loki.

Pepper looked utterly ashamed. Her face paled and her eyes darted away. "I already told you that he used to be my friend. He pushed us away, so we gave up."

"See? I'm not the only one who makes stupid choices."

Natasha and Clint exchanged glances, just arriving at the table. "Who did what?" Natasha asked.

"Tony can't find Loki," Pepper said quietly. Tony felt a twinge of guilt.

Clint spoke up, "I heard Thanos was causing trouble in Loki's gym class."

Natasha continued, "And Loki punched him. I heard he skipped classes after that."

Tony frowned. Loki wouldn't go home, he knew that. But where else would he go? Then it clicked. Tony stood suddenly. "I'll see you guys later," he said, grabbing up his tray. He quickly left the table.

After dumping his tray, Tony snuck out of the school through a side door facing the baseball fields. The early October air was cool and crisp. Tony paced across the soft green fields, heading for the football field. He was sure that Loki would be there.

Tony came to the field and immediately spotted Loki's figure standing at the top of the bleachers, leaning over the railing, looking over the houses nearby. Tony stopped at the base of the bleachers. "Loki," Tony called with his hands cupped around his mouth.

Loki looked over his shoulder at Tony. He couldn't see Loki's expression. Loki turned fully and leaned back against the railing, waiting. Taking his cue, Tony began to climb the steep steps up to Loki. There was something beautiful about the way Loki watched him so closely.

He reached the top step, stopping right in front of Loki. Loki's face was pale and his fingers had turned white. Tony quickly stripped off his sweatshirt and held it out to his boyfriend. "You look cold," he said softly.

Loki's stable expression broke into a whirlwind of emotions. He took the sweatshirt and hugged into himself. Without warning, Loki pressed himself into Tony's chest, letting his cheek fall onto Tony's shoulder.

Instinctively, Tony wrapped his arms around Loki, pulling him closer. The sweatshirt was wedged between them. "I'm sorry, Loks," Tony said, pressing a hand to the back of Loki's cold neck.

Loki nodded into his shoulder. "I know."

"Is everything okay?" Tony asked.

Silence followed his words and it only confirmed what Tony feared. Something was wrong and somewhere along the way, Tony had missed it. "I don't want to talk about it," Loki said.

Tony pulled away and rubbed Loki's shoulder. "Put on the sweatshirt," he commanded.

Loki did what he was told and Tony had to force his self to breathe when Loki zipped it up. The black sweatshirt hung a little baggy around Loki's small frame. Loki smiled. "You should smile more," Tony told him.

"Stop trying to get on my good side. I know what you're doing," Loki laughed weakly.

"But you should," Tony told him. He plucked at Loki's long black hair and Loki knocked his hand away playfully.

Loki smiled widely before pulling into Tony in a surprise kiss. Tony melted into it easily. "Are you skipping the rest of the day?" Tony asked against Loki's lips.

He pulled back, looking at Tony thoughtfully. "I was thinking of it, but I suppose not. I'm probably in enough trouble as it is already."

Tony felt a surge of protectiveness but also relief. At least Loki was staying the rest of the day. Taking Loki's hand, he led him down the bleachers and back to the school.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Why don't we watch those Harry Potter movies you like so much?" Tony said as they drove home. "We can watch them on my laptop in my room with the door locked, so we don't have to see Howard."

Loki looked at him like he was crazy. "You've never seen Harry Potter? How?"

Tony laughed. He turned onto their street, driving slowly down the road. "It's just like how you don't listen to ACDC! I've been questioning your sanity every day since I found out."

Loki laughed but he was cut short as they slowed down by their houses. There, in front of Loki's house was Howard and Odin, talking. Tony couldn't breathe.

"Oh no," Tony said. He turned the car into the driveway and parked. Neither Odin nor Howard looked up at his car.

Tony glanced at Loki. Loki was breathing shallowly. Suddenly Tony was very afraid for Loki. He snaked his hand across the middle of the car and laced his fingers into Loki's. Loki looked away from their fathers to look at Tony. "It's going to be okay," Tony assured him. At least, Tony hoped it would be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are going to heat up in the next few chapters!


	22. Lights Out

Loki walked unsteadily across the lawn with Tony trailing just behind him. Their fathers were talking about who-knows-what, and it wasn't sitting well with him. Upon their approach, Odin looked up and made hard eye contact with Loki. His stare sharpened with hostility. Loki wondered what that meant.

"Hey, what are we talking about?" Tony asked, breaking up their fathers' conversation. Loki turned his attention away from his father and instead focused on Howard. Howard wore a cruel smile.

"Just introducing myself to our neighbors," Howard told them, gesturing to Odin.

Odin did not look as amused as Howard. Loki sighed, edging away from Tony towards the inevitable. Odin grabbed Loki's shoulder in what seemed to be casual, but his grip was a bit too tight and it caused Loki to wince. "My son and I need to go. We have some business to attend to."

Loki's eyes flicked to Tony. He looked horrified and angry, but he stood still as he watched Odin drag Loki away.

Trembling, Loki followed Odin inside their house. The door was slammed behind him. "Where's Thor?" Loki asked, kicking off his shoes. He placed his backpack casually onto the floor and turned to Odin.

Odin pressed his lips into a thin line and his eyes pinched as he stared Loki down. Loki breathed shallowly, turned away, and tried to escape up the stairs to find Thor. Odin's voice stopped him on the first step, "They're not here," Odin said.

Loki's heart was in his throat. What did Howard say to Odin? What did Odin know? Loki turned back to Odin and slowly sat down on the steps. There was nowhere to run, so he would just have to face the music.

"Tony Stark, huh?" Odin scoffed, pacing to left with a frown on his face. He looked at Loki. "I thought I told you to lay low."

Loki didn't know how to reply to that. He rubbed his hands across his knees nervously.

"I told you that and you befriended the famous Tony Stark. What the hell is wrong with you?" he growled. He went to Loki and towered over him.

Loki glared back, pressing a hand to his temple. He was beyond frustrated. "I don't understand why you want me to hide," Loki spat at him. "Get average grades, blend in with the crowd, and cover up any news about me… What is this all about, really?" He stood so that he was level with Odin; the step he stood on made him just as tall as the man.

"This is between me and your mother!"

"Mom?" Loki said in confusion. What did Frigga have to do with any of it? "What about me! This about me, too! Just tell me why-"

Odin pushed him with a roar. Loki fell backwards and his head collided with a loud smack against the railing. Loki's vision fizzed to black.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tony watched fearfully as Loki and Odin disappeared into their house. His hands balled into fists unconsciously. "What did you do?" Tony spat at Howard.

Howard shrugged and began walking to their home. "Like I said, I only introduced myself."

"Did you tell him about me and Loki?"

"Only that the two of you are friends," Howard said, entering their house. "Consider this a warning, son. The next time that I catch you with Loki, I will tell him about your relationship."

"You don't know what Odin would do to him if he found out!" Tony cried. Tony barely knew himself, but he knew it would be bad. Really bad.

"Not my problem," Howard said. "It's yours. So stay away from him." Howard disappeared into the kitchen, leaving Tony alone in the foyer.

Quickly, Tony took out his phone, clicked on Loki's name, and pushed call. It immediately went to voicemail, meaning Loki's phone was off. "Damn it," Tony said, ending the call. After sending out a quick text to Loki, in case he turned it on soon, Tony went to the living room window to look at Loki's house. Please let him be okay.

He watched the house, not seeing any movement from the windows closest to him, but that didn't mean anything. Who knows what could be happening in that silent house. Periodically, Tony checked his phone, hoping that Loki would get his message. Wouldn't he have texted back by now? Surely Loki would tell him if he were okay…

A car slowed down on the street and pulled into Loki's driveway. Tony recognized it instantly. He silently cheered. Frigga stepped out of her car, taking her time to sling her purse over her shoulder. Tony mentally urged her to move faster.

She turned and entered the front door. For a moment, the front door remained wide open. It remained that way for a good minute before it was yanked shut roughly.

Tony stared at the house with his hands braced on the window sill. He watched for a long time but no one came in or out and he received no response from Loki.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Loki regained consciousness shortly he'd been knocked out, groaning with ache of his head. It hurt like a bitch. "What the hell did you do to him!" a shrill voice sounded over the pounding in Loki's head.

"Close the door, Frigga," Odin roared at her.

The door slammed and Loki moaned at what the noise did to his headache. "Loki," Frigga said sadly. She pressed her hands against his forehead but Loki winced away, moaning at the pain that shot through him from her touch. Struggling, Loki forced his eyelids open to reveal a blurry image of Frigga crouching over him and Odin standing a little behind her.

"He'll be fine," Odin said gruffly.

"He's bleeding!" Frigga yelled back. It was true. Loki caught sight of Frigga's fingers and they were marred with deep red blood.

"Mom," Loki moaned, trying to fight through the haze.

"What did you do this for?" Frigga yelled at Odin, again looking back at Loki.

"He was hanging out with the Stark kid," Odin said shortly.

"Stark?" Frigga said in confusion. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"He's famous! He's in the newspapers. If Loki is caught with him…"

Frigga paused at that. Her expression wavered but she again tried to comfort Loki, trailing her bloody fingers along his chin. "Help me carry him upstairs."

Odin snorted. "We should just let him bleed out. He's not our kid."

Loki, barely lucid, tried to latch onto the words. What did he just say?

"Help me take him upstairs!" Frigga annunciated with feral rage.

Odin groaned and went to Loki and scooped his hands underneath Loki's skinny body, lifting him easily. Loki's head lolled back, unsupported. He felt so dizzy. "To the bathroom," Frigga said from somewhere. Loki couldn't really pinpoint her location anymore.

His body shifted slightly in Odin's arms and suddenly he was being laid down on something cold and hard. It sent angry chills up Loki's spine. "Careful!" Frigga hissed when Loki's head bumped against the porcelain. It was the tub, Loki realized.

"There, you deal with him," Odin said, leaving the room without a backward glance.

Frigga leaned into Loki's view. "I'm going to take your clothes off, sweetie," she said. Her long hair brushed his arm and it was an odd sort of comfort to Loki. Loki nodded his consent.

As gently as she could, Frigga began to undress him. Whenever he could, Loki tried weakly to assist her in her task. He felt so cold and distanced from the situation.

Once all of his clothes were removed, Frigga switched on the water and plugged the drain. "We'll clean you up," she told him. She stuck her fingers under the running water, checking the temperature. Seemingly satisfied, Frigga picked up a wash cloth and swished it through the rising water. Heat lapped at Loki's legs as the water climbed the tub.

"We need to clean the wound," Frigga said, blinking back tears.

Loki squinted at her. What wound? Oh yeah, that's right. He was bleeding. Loki touched a shaky hand to the back of his head and removed a blood-covered hand. He suddenly could feel the distinct feeling of something sticky dripping down the back of his neck.

"Careful," she told his, bringing the watch cloth to the top of his head. Loki hissed at the pressure, trying to move away. "I'm just cleaning it," Frigga tried to tell him. But god damn, it _hurt._

To avoid her touch, Loki slipped down the tub and beneath the water. It was a far more effective way to clean a wound. The water didn't exactly soothe his head wound but it didn't hurt either.

After a second, Loki came back out of the water, blowing out a deep breath. He blinked heavily before freezing. The water had turned a light pink. Was there really that much blood?

"How bad is it?" he asked Frigga, his voice shaky.

"You'll be fine," she replied, though she didn't sound very sure of herself. She pressed the wash cloth to his head again. Loki winced but kept put. "How are you feeling?"

Loki closed his eyes with the distinct urge to sleep. "Bad," he said.

Frigga cupped his chin and Loki opened his eyes. "You have to stay away from Stark," she said.

"Why?" he asked. From Odin, these words were frustrating and annoying, but from Frigga, the words sounded urgent. Loki fixed her with an inquisitive stare.

"Because we can't have you standing out to the public. You're my secret," she said.

Loki wanted to laugh but it looked like Frigga was completely serious. "What do you mean?"

"I can't tell you," she said, taking her hand away from his chin. She went back to wiping the blood from his head. "Just do as your father tells you."

"Keep my head down," Loki recited.

Frigga smiled brightly at him. Loki was conflicted. What was all of this about? His closed his eyes, too tired to truly care. Loki started to drift off.

"We'll be okay," Frigga voice drifted. He let the words comfort him as he gave into the dark.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tony knew he probably shouldn't be sneaking out of his house when his father had just threatened with consequences against Loki, but he couldn't go to sleep not knowing what happened to him. As soon as Tony reached Loki's window, he paused, staring inside the dark room. The curtains were wide open and he could see Loki lying on his bed on the other side of the window. He was sleeping on top of his covers.

He rapped gently against the window, trying to rouse Loki, but when it didn't, Tony frowned. Loki was a light sleeper. He would often wake at the mere sound of Tony jumping across the gaps of their roofs. He knocked again, hoping to gain Loki's attention the second time. It failed once again.

Instead, Tony tested the window. It was unlocked, luckily, and Tony pushed it open slowly. He almost expected Loki to wake up from the slow creaking of his window but even then, Loki did not wake. "Loki," he hissed into the window. Yet again, Loki did not stir.

Worried, Tony eased himself onto the bed next to Loki. Loki was wearing his pajamas, which was strange for him. Loki usually slept in his boxers and a t-shirt. "Loki," he whispered again. He placed a hand on Loki's shoulder and shook him just slightly.

Tony's fear mounted when Loki didn't wake. He pushed on Loki's shoulder again, much rougher.

Loki moaned into his pillow and shifted slowly. Tony let out a slow breath. "Loki, wake up," he told him.

Loki's hand came up and rubbed at his eyes. He tilted his head towards Tony, sighing. "Tony?" His voice sounded off.

"What happened, Loks?"

"What?" Loki asked, sitting up slowly. Nothing seemed immediately wrong with Loki besides the incredibly tired look on his face. "What are you talking about?" Loki's hand went into his hair and immediately away again.

"What happened after you left with Odin?"

Loki looked around his room, his eyebrows drawing together. "Nothing…" His eyes flicked back to Tony. There was something wrong with Loki's eyes. They were almost glazed, as if he wasn't really focusing on anything.

"I just need to sleep," Loki told him, lying back down.

Tony watched as he went to sleep the instant his head hit the pillow. He was pretty sure something happened to Loki. He just didn't know what. He reached out and stroked Loki's hair, just above his eyebrows, before moving away to the window.

He would find out in the morning what had happened to Loki.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Loki woke up to a pounding pressure in his head and extreme nausea. Immediately covering his mouth, Loki stumbled out of bed and headed out into the hall. He placed his hand against the wall to keep himself from falling over because the world was tilting and twisting in his wake.

Loki reached the bathroom and went to his knees on the tiled bathroom floor. He shoved the toilet seat up. Instantly, his stomach heaved and he vomited painfully into the toilet. His eyes watered and his stomach heaved endlessly.

He vomited until he struggled for air. Tears poured from his eyes as fought the need to vomit again but he did anyway. His stomach emptied. Loki could taste bile in his teeth and in his throat. When the urge subsided, Loki rested on the edge of the toilet, breathing hard.

"Are you sick?" Thor asked, appearing at the open bathroom door.

Loki looked up and glared. He flushed the toilet weakly and stood on shaky legs, saying, "I'm fine, Thor."

"You don't look fine," Thor said.

Loki glanced at the mirror. His hair was plastered to his forehead with sweat, his complexion had turned sallow. Loki promptly slammed the door in Thor's face.

He just needed a shower, and then he'd be okay. That's all he needed, he reassured himself.

He went to the shower and pulled back the curtain, pausing. There were traces of blood along the edge of the tub. Loki felt lightheaded at the sight, catching flashes of the events of last night. What happened? Loki's nose crinkled in concentration as he tried to remember, but the night only came back in flashes of pain, water and blood.

Loki gasped as sharp pain shot through his mind and he leaned back against the wall. Slowly, while clutching his head, Loki slid down the wall, pulled his legs to his chest and dropped his head onto his knees.

He just needed a minute. Just one minute to clear his mind.

He counted to sixty, breathing with each beat, before forcing himself back up again. Loki stripped down and started the shower, feeling the warm heat rise from the stream. He got in. Through unfocused eyes, Loki watched as old blood swirled down the drain and dripped down his arms.

Another dizzy spell hit Loki and he squatted down in the shower, squeezing his eyes shut. After his shower things would be okay, he tried to tell himself again.


	23. Dead Man Walking

Loki, now dressed, sprawled out on his bed to wait for Thor to finish getting ready. He watched the ceiling hazily and unfocused.

Thor's heavy footsteps came down the hallway and Loki lifted himself up onto his elbows shakily. "Thor," Loki called out.

Thor had just passed Loki's room but he doubled back to stand in the door. "What do you need?"

"Can I catch a ride with you to school today?"

His brother beamed immediately; delighted that Loki would once again be joining him. "Of course! Follow me to the car!"

Loki stood and stumbled. He steadied himself uneasily and picked up his backpack. Thor frowned. "Are you sure you are well enough to come to school?"

Even though Loki knew he wasn't, there was no way he was going to stay in this house a minute longer. Besides, their parents wanted Loki to keep his head down and that's just what he was going to do. "I'm fine," Loki said. "Let's go."

They emerged from the stairs and Frigga was standing near the kitchen, waiting. She had a nervous smile on her face. "Did you boys get breakfast?"

Loki stood back from Frigga, watching her warily. Shards of last night's events flashed in front of his mind that caused a rising sting in Loki's already present headache. Why had Frigga acted that way? What did this family have to hide?

"I would be glad to have some breakfast," Thor said, stepping towards her.

Frigga glanced at Loki. "Loki?"

The thought of food made Loki's stomach churn. He briefly touched the side of his head, trying to hide his wince. "I'm not hungry."

Frigga didn't look happy with his answer. "Just try to eat something, okay?"

Loki followed the rest of his family into the kitchen, dragging his feet. He stayed back when he realized that Odin was already at the table, watching him. "Come, sit!" Frigga said, ushering Loki to the seat nearest Odin.

Loki sighed and sat down. His throat constricted when he looked down at his plate; it was piled with eggs, bacon, and pancakes, which was something Loki usually enjoyed, but today the sight of it made Loki want to run for the bathroom. Reluctantly, Loki picked up his fork and poked at it for appearances' sake.

"I don't think Loki is well," Thor spoke up, shoveling his food in.

Loki looked up and shot him a glare. "I'm fine. I told you."

Frigga frowned while Odin watched him steadily. Loki looked away from everyone and cut himself a bit of pancake and stuck it into his mouth. The sweat flavor had his stomach swimming, but he forced himself to swallow. Loki's face paled.

It was like Loki was on display. Everyone watched him until Loki forced more food into his mouth. Eventually, his family seemed satisfied with his eating habits and turned their attention onto Thor and they questioned him on his upcoming tests.

Silently, Loki slipped away from the table and headed for the bathroom. He upchucked his entire breakfast.

Loki left the house with Thor, heading for his crappy car. Glancing over at Stark's house, Loki paused in his tracks when he spotted Tony leaning against his car, waiting for Loki. Loki glanced back at his own house at the windows. He sighed in relief when he saw no one watching him out the window.

Looking back at Tony, he raised his hand in a small greeting and then gestured at Thor's car to let Tony know he was going with his brother. Tony seemed to get the idea and climbed into his own car.

"Did something happen between you and Tony?" Thor asked, getting into the car.

Loki settled down in the uncomfortable seat and shrugged. "Not really."

"Loki," Thor said. Thor's voice was so firm and demanding that Loki looked at his older brother in surprise. "Remember what Tony and I promised you? He and I are here for you and you may share anything that troubles you. I will help you in any way I can."

A smile formed on Loki's lips and he laughed breathily. "Believe me, I'm fine," Loki lied. Before he told Thor of anything Odin or Frigga did last night, he first needed to figure it out for himself exactly what happened. The memory was in fractures.

Loki found himself rubbing his pounding forehead and immediately drew his hand away when he caught Thor watching him. "Can you give me a ride home after school?" Loki asked Thor, rubbing his hands together to keep them from going to his head.

Thor backed the car out of the driveway, frowning. "Well, Jane and I are going straight to the game after school, but I could give you a ride home from the game if you're going?"

"What game?" Loki asked.

"It's the homecoming football game! How could you not even know? There are posters plastered all around the school! Are you going to the dance on Saturday?"

"There's… a dance?"

Thor chortled. "You really haven't been paying attention, brother!"

Loki smiled. There just had been too much going on for Loki to notice. "I don't think I'm going to any of those."

"I'm sure Tony would be willing to go with you."

Yeah, if he wanted to get slaughtered by Odin or Howard… Loki just said nothing and shrugged instead, looking out the window.

Thor looked in his rear view mirror. "Tony is following pretty close," he told Loki.

Loki glanced over his shoulder and sure enough, Stark was tailgating them to school. "You should step on the breaks and let him crash into us," Loki joked mildly.

Thor snorted and turned into the school parking lot. Tony parked directly next to them, switching off his beloved car faster than Loki had ever seen. He was out of his car in a flash and opened Loki's door before he could even touched the handle.

"Loks, are you okay?" he asked. Stark stepped back as Loki forced himself out of his seat and steadied himself with a hand on the edge of the car.

"Perfect," Loki told him. "Why do you ask?"

"Because last night you were really out of it and this morning you didn't answer any of my texts…"

Loki felt his pockets in confusion. His phone wasn't there. Either Odin had it or Loki misplaced it. Loki ruffled his hair distractedly, saying, "I think I lost it. And what do you mean last night? You didn't come over."

"I checked on you at midnight," Tony said. "And you wouldn't wake up."

Loki bit his lip. He didn't remember that at all. "Odin just yelled at me and sent me to my room. That's all that happened," Loki said.

Thor was watching the two silently up to this point. "Wait, Loki, you were sick this morning," Thor said, glancing at Tony.

"I'm fine!" Loki snapped. He turned on his heal and marched away, not caring if they followed. God, he needed to sit down.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Thor held Tony back when he tried to follow Loki into the school with a serious expression shrouding his face. "Something is wrong with my brother, Stark."

Tony nodded, fully agreeing as he watched the way Loki walked like a drunk. "What do you think happened?"

"He was vomiting this morning," Thor said, "and he barely could eat without turning pale."

"Did you hear anything last night? Any fighting?" Tony asked urgently.

Thor shook his head, his eyes sad. "I was out with Jane. When I came home, there was nothing out of sorts. My parents were watching TV and they said Loki was in his room," Thor shrugged.

Tony stared at the school thinking. "Howard and Odin were talking yesterday, but my father said he didn't tell Odin about my relationship with Loki. Do you think Odin would have anything else to be angry over?"

Thor shook his head. "I don't know. Perhaps Loki is just sick."

"Could be," Tony said. "I'll keep an eye on him."

"Hey, are the two of you going to the game tonight?"

"What game?"

Thor grinned, laughing. "You two really are made for each other."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tony couldn't find Loki that morning before classes, but Loki did show up for Chemistry. He had his head down on his desk when Tony entered the room. Thor was eyeing Loki worriedly; Tony shared the sentiment. A world where Loki wasn't brooding silently was a strange world.

He quietly placed his things onto his desk before turning to Loki. His head was firmly wrapped beneath his arms. "Loki," he said.

Loki shot up, bleary eyed, to look at Tony. Immediately Tony placed a hand on Loki's forehead. "Geez, Loks, you're burning up."

Loki grimaced and put his head back onto his arm, but this time watched Tony sit down at his desk. "You should go to the nurse," Thor told him.

It was like Loki wasn't even listening. He was watching them but there wasn't any recognition in his eyes. Tony grew worried.

Class started. Today they were watching a video on something or other and apparently they were supposed to take notes; Tony wasn't paying attention. He focused on Loki and the way his eyes were steadily closing. Finally, Loki fell asleep, facedown.

"Loki," the teacher snapped. "Are you sleeping?"

Slowly, Loki sat up from his position. "Yes, sir!" he said cheekily. His face had a red flush to it.

The teacher paused the video long enough to write out a pass to Fury's office and handed it to Loki. Tony glanced at Loki before saying, "I think he's sick, actually." Hopefully the teacher would send him to the nurse's office instead.

"Well then he can stop at the nurse's after he goes to Fury," the teacher told Tony.

Loki didn't seem to care. He gathered up his things quietly and left the room without even a glance at Tony or Thor. Tony exchanged a worried look with Thor.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Loki walked in an empty hallway, completely unaware of his surroundings, when finally he decided to look around. Wait… How did he get here?

He stopped dead in his tracks to look around in confusion. He had no idea why he was in the hallway or where he'd been heading to, but all he knew is that he felt extremely sick.

He bee lined his way for the bathroom and dropped his materials onto the floor next to the nearest toilet. Loki kneeled down slowly, reluctant to touch the disgusting public school toilet, but did nonetheless. He stared into the toilet water for a moment, trying to decide if he really was about to barf.

After a moment, the heaving started and he was vomiting painfully into bowl. With one hand, Loki clutched at his stomach, and the other was placed firmly on the side of the toilet. He felt so weak.

After he'd finished, Loki wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and stood, going to the sink. He cupped his hand, ran the water, and scooped up handfuls of water into his mouth. He swished the water, trying to rid his mouth of the sour taste. Loki spat it out, panting. His reflection didn't look too good. Dark circles had formed around his eyes and his face looked like the dead. Carefully, Loki turned his head and parted his hair, trying to look at the wound he knew was there. He couldn't see it from this angle.

Loki sighed and turned away to gather up his materials. That's when he saw the yellow pass sitting on top of his books. Crap, a trip to Fury's office. Loki picked it up and checked the pass for the reasoning. He'd fallen asleep in class, it said. Seemed plausible.

He picked up the rest of things and trudged out of the bathroom, heading for Fury's office.

He arrived at Fury's office shortly after and he went in without hesitation. Fury looked up from his work and smiled. "Loki, in again so soon?"

Loki tossed the yellow pass onto Fury's desk and slumped down in the chair in front of Fury's desk, happy to be off of his feet. "Just slap me with more detention," Loki told him.

Fury scoffed. "You already have a week's worth of detention from skipping class yesterday." Fury picked up the note and paused. "Well this is new for you. Sleeping in class?"

Loki wasn't in the mood. His headache had gotten worse since he walked the distance from the bathroom to the office. "Can we just get on with this?"

Fury looked at Loki firmly. Loki realized that he was once again clutching at his head. He removed his hands and tried to keep a steady gaze on Fury. "So, how are you Loki?"

Fury's sudden question threw Loki off guard. He'd expected Fury to do the usual: discipline him and throw him out. Loki shrugged. "Fine."

Fury didn't even blink. "I'm going to let you off this time," he told Loki, curling his hands together and pressing his hands to his chin. "Go back to class."

Loki hesitated, confused, but Fury waved him off. There was something sympathetic in his gaze. Loki gathered up his things and went back to class. As he walked, he wondered what had gone through Fury's head when he let Loki off so easily.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tony watched Loki quietly as the crowd cheered around them. He'd fallen asleep again, this time it was on his shoulder. Loki slept through lunch, too. After school, Pepper and had invited them to go to the game with the rest of their friends and Loki had insisted, despite the constant ill state Loki had been in all day.

Now, here they were in the third quarter of the football game and Loki was fast asleep against him, even though people were screaming and the night was cold. He knew people were looking at them in the way that said another rumor was going to go around but Tony didn't care. He liked when Loki slept on his shoulder, so everyone else could fuck off. Loki may want their relationship to be a secret, but Tony didn't care. All he cared about was Loki.

"He's really out, isn't he?" Pepper said, switching from her spot on the other side of Natasha, to stand closer to Tony. Her breath rose in the cool air.

"Yeah," Tony said, looking at his sleeping boyfriend.

"And I can't believe how fast it got cold," Pepper said. They were all wearing sweatshirts. It wasn't that cold but cold enough. Tony hated autumn.

Bucky and Steve were standing on the row behind Tony and his friends. Most of the crowd was standing except for Tony and Loki. Bucky crouched down, looking at the back of Loki's head. "I think Loki's got blood in his hair," he said. His eyes flickered to Tony meaningfully.

"He does?" Tony asked, glancing at Loki's head. He didn't dare to move, though, not wanting to wake Loki.

"I mean, it's all dried up, but it's crusting in his hair," Bucky said.

Steve took a look, too. "Yeah, that looks kind of bad." He lightly pushed a few strands of Loki's hair aside.

Tony placed a hand on Loki's other shoulder to steady him and gently tried to rouse Loki awake. "Loki," he said quietly.

Loki stirred and sat upright, away from Tony's shoulder. Loki's gaze was unfocused at he looked at Tony. "What's going on?"

"We're leaving," he told Loki. He stood and offered his hand to Loki which Loki took instantly. Luckily, they were on the end of the bleachers, so not many people witnessed Tony holding hands with Loki. The few that did see it, watched the two curiously.

Tony led Loki away from the crowd and around the back of the bleachers, heading towards his car. Suddenly, Loki yanked his hand away from Tony's just as cheers rose up from the game. He turned back to see Loki hunching over and promptly vomiting onto the gravel beneath the bleachers.

"Holy shit," Tony cursed, rushing to Loki's side. He brushed Loki's hair away from Loki's face as he retched helplessly. "You should have told me about this," Tony said to Loki. Tony's eyes flicked to the top of Loki's head and it took a moment for him to find what Bucky and Steve had been talking about. There was a bit of crusted blood sticking to Loki's stark black hair.

Loki was trying to catch his breath. "Okay, yeah, Tony. I'm sick. Happy now?" he snapped through his gasping. Loki sat down in the grass, turning away from the vomit, disgusted, and slipping out of Tony's touch.

"Not just that," Tony said. "You have blood in your hair!"

Loki still breathed heavy and he put his head in his hands. "I fell down the stairs."

"You fell down the stairs or did Odin push you down the stairs?" Tony asked, his tone sharp.

Loki didn't reply because he suddenly tipped to the side. "Loki!" Tony shouted. His voice got lost in the crowd's cheering. He went to Loki, kneeling beside him, and found him unconscious. "Shit."

He needed to get Loki to the hospital right away. Passing out with a head wound, that had to be serious, right? Quickly, Tony leaned down and hoisted Loki onto his back. Loki fell limply against him, his breathing shallow.

"You're going to be okay, Loks," he said. He set off to his car as fast as he could go, praying he would make it on time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh, uh oh! Loki passed out after walking around for 24 hours with a head injury! What does this mean for him? ;)


	24. Alone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOTE: I am not a medical expert and I've never been to the ER, so I am sorry for any medical inaccuracies in this chapter. Everything I've learned about this is from medical sites... and TV. (Don't kill me!)

Tony slammed on his brakes, squealing to a stop in front of the hospital. He took one last glance at Loki in the rearview mirror before throwing the car into park and pushing his door open. "Sir, you can't park here!" Someone yelled from the curb.

"I just need to get him inside!" Tony yelled. He was so afraid. Loki had passed out at the game and had yet to stir. No matter what Tony did, Loki wouldn't wake up. Loki breathed shallowly in the back seat.

Tony opened Loki's door and leaned inside, hovering over Loki. He was lying limp. He reached in and picked him up with an arm under Loki's shoulders and the other gathering up Loki's legs. Loki's head lolled and Tony's throat constricted even as he tried to remain brave.

He held Loki protectively to his chest, closed his car door and walked toward the emergency entrance. Walking in, Tony went straight for the front desk. "Help me," he begged. "He won't wake up."

The woman stood and called for another nurse to help. Together, they pulled in a stretcher and Tony laid Loki down slowly and gently. "Will he be okay?" Tony asked as they pushed him away from Loki's still body.

"We are going to take him in for examining," the nurse said as her coworkers wheeled Loki away, "and we'll check what's wrong. Could you fill out this chart of any information you know about him? We will also need to call his parents. Do you have the number?"

Tony watched Loki disappear through the double doors. The nurse moved into his view. "We need to know any allergies or any basic information you know about his medical history or his current injury. Fill out the form." She pushed the chart into Tony's hands. "What is the patient's name?"

Tony blinked back tears. "Loki Odinson."

"Do you have contact with his parents?"

He shook his head. He didn't know Loki's home number.

She smiled at him. "It's okay. It's all going to be okay." She squeezed Tony's shoulder before drifting away to her desk.

Tony didn't bother sitting down. Instead, he brought his clipboard to his eyes, trying to process the information on the sheet. He filled out the basics: Loki's address, his guardians' names, things like that. However, when Tony hit the allergy and family history portion, Tony had nothing to write. He didn't know that side of Loki. When this is all over, Tony vowed to learn every little detail about Loki.

He went to the front desk and handed the lady the chart. "How is he?"

"It's too early to tell," the nurse said. "His parents are on their way. What is your relation to Loki? His brother?"

"His boyfriend," Tony said quietly.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tony waited around in the Emergency room as long as he could, a good twenty minutes or more, and paced back and forth past the other waiting room occupants. He was so on edge. Soon enough, he was told by the staff that Loki's parents had been notified and that he should move his car from the front of the ER. Tony was reluctant to leave the room but he did, not wanting to get kicked out.

As Tony moved his car, he pulled out his phone to call Thor. Thor picked up immediately. "I've already heard. Mom and Dad got a call from the hospital," Thor said without a greeting. "How is he?"

"I don't know," Tony said. He moved his car into the first parking spot he could find in the over crowded lot. "They won't tell me."

"Well, I'll be there soon," Thor told him. "Mother and father are already on their way."

Tony parked and got out quickly, glancing at the hospital angrily. "I think Odin did this," Tony said roughly. His fingers tightened on his phone. "Odin went too far this time."

Thor's side of the phone went quiet for a few seconds. "I don't want to believe it, but I think I agree with you. My father must have done this."

"So what should we do?" Tony asked.

"We make sure Loki's okay and then we tell someone."

Tony nodded, licking his lips. "Yeah, Loki first. See ya, Thor."

Thor hung up without another word and Tony leaned against his car, glancing up at the sky. The stars twinkled above but not as brightly as they did outside their town. The Sacred Hope Hospital was in a nearby town, ten minutes away, in a larger city, so the stars here weren't as beautiful. Tony wanted to punch something, looking at those damn stars. Loki should be watching them instead of suffering in a hospital.

Tony huffed in frustration and turned to kick the tire of his car angrily. "Damn it," he hissed.

He pressed his hands against the passenger's window and rested his forehead against the cold metal. Loki had to be okay. He had to be!

After a moment, Tony took out his phone and activated Jarvis. "Jarvis," he said. His voice shook just slightly.

"Yes, sir."

"Pull up all possible side effects of concussions," he said.

Jarvis began, saying, "Common effects of concussion include dizziness, headaches, vomiting, blurred vision, coma, seizures, memory problems…"

Tony couldn't listen anymore. He crouched down slowly by his car, squeezing his eyes shut as a few tears slipped from his eyes. It hurt so damn much. Tony clutched at himself as Jarvis's list went on and on.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tony composed himself before he went back into the waiting room. Odin was seated on the far of the room, his face stoic and his arms crossed. Thor was sitting anxiously beside his father, fidgeting. Tony paused as he finally realized the similarities between Thor and his father. Tony looked to the front desk where Frigga was speaking to the nurse. Thor looked much like her as well. They all had light hair and a golden complexion. In comparison, Loki looked very little like his family; pale, dark hair, a small and gangly frame.

Thor spotted Tony and he jumped to his feet. He went over to Tony and pulled him forward to Frigga. "Mother, this is Tony. He's the one who brought Loki in."

Her bright eyes were full of tears. "Thank you, dear," she said, turning towards him, disrupting her conversation with the nurse.

"Is he going to be okay?" Tony asked. Even if he couldn't see Loki, he just needed to hear his prognosis.

Frigga laughed and wiped away her tears. "He's fine," she said. "He only has a concussion. He was dehydrated and low on oxygen when he passed out. So I think that he's going to be okay."

"He's awake," the nurse said, looking up from her computer screen. "He's a little loopy from the drugs we gave him, but he should be able to go home tomorrow morning. We want to monitor him overnight and take him in for a CT scan just to be sure."

"Can we see him?" Thor asked.

The nurse beamed. "Of course." She stood papers and rounded the desk. "You can follow me."

Odin joined them as they took the trek into the ER towards the patient rooms. Tony tried not to glare at Odin, boiling with rage. Instead he focused on his fear for Loki. Loki was his number one priority.

They stopped in front of room 148 and the nurse gestured inside, smiling kindly. The four went in with Frigga at the lead and she muffled a cry in her hand as she saw her Loki sitting upright in his bed, sipping a juice box as an IV dripped into his wrist. Loki's head was wrapped with wide bandages to cover the head wound. The color had already returned to Loki's face. Tony found that reassuring despite the utterly exhausted look on Loki's face.

"Loki," Frigga said happily, going to her son. She leaned over and hugged him lightly, trying not to jostle any of the tubes hooked into him.

Loki glanced at Tony over her shoulder. Loki's lids were low but he smiled goofily, clearly affected by the drugs. Tony hid his own relieved smile. "They gave me blood," Loki told them proudly, as if it were an accomplishment.

"That's great," Frigga said, sitting down at a chair at his side. She began to stroke his black locks.

The nurse stepped into the room and grabbed Loki's medical chart. "He just had stitches taken care of a moment ago and we gave him some pain medication to ease his stay. Other than that, he just needed some blood. He'll be fine," she said, snapping the chart closed. Tony was surprised. He'd thought that things would be a lot worse.

"So he could go home tomorrow?" Frigga asked.

The nurse nodded. "It's likely, but first we're going to take that CT Scan to make sure there aren't any side effects to his injury. If it is clear, you may have to keep a watch out for any memory problems and he'll need to be woken up every few hours… The doctor will tell you the rest of the details tomorrow morning." She replaced the chart at the end of Loki's bed, excusing herself.

"What happened?" Thor asked Loki after the nurse left the room.

"I fell down the stairs," Loki said with a goofy smile, gesturing wildly with his juice box. "And I didn't tell anyone."

Tony wondered how Loki could lie so easily, especially when he was doped on drugs. But then again, Loki's words could be true. Tony was more inclined to believe otherwise.

"Thank you for taking him to the hospital," Odin said abruptly, addressing Tony.

Tony looked up at him in surprise. What Tony saw in his eyes wasn't something happy or relieved, it was threatening and cold. Tony swallowed nervously. "Yeah, any time."

All four of them stayed with Loki for a long time into the late hours of the night. Loki's CT Scan was scheduled for six in the morning. They all seemed determined to stay with Loki until then, making sure that he did not sleep too long.

When Loki began to doze for the second time that night, however, Frigga dragged Odin out of the room to go find coffee. Tony immediately took the seat Frigga had vacated and gathered Loki's hand in his.

At his touch, Loki's eyes fluttered and he looked at Tony warmly. Thor scraped a chair across the floor and settled in next to Tony. The whole room was painted in a soft robin egg blue but it didn't hide the completely sterile feeling of sitting in a hospital room. It was bland and smelled of cleaning supplies.

"Did you really fall down the stairs?" Thor asked, leaning forward in his chair.

"No, of course he didn't," Tony snapped.

Loki seemed to sober a bit, sighing. "That's what happened, Tony." He seemed so drained and fragile in this state. Tony wanted to gather Loki into a hug and never let him go.

"No. I refuse to believe that's what happened. I'm not going to be ignorant of anything that happens to you anymore!" Tony said. He didn't mean to be so loud and he immediately regretted it when Loki winced.

Thor looked uncomfortably between his brother and Tony. "I think we should tell someone."

Loki's expression broke into fear. "I will kill you if you even think about. Got it? I will hate both of you forever," Loki growled.

"But Loki-"

"No, just don't." Loki glanced down at his hands, visibly shaking. "If you do that, what will they do with me? Foster care?" He looked up them. "You too, Thor."

Thor looked stricken. "But we have mother."

Loki scoffed and looked away, smiling sadly. "I think mother knew along about what Odin has been doing to me. She doesn't like it or condone it, but she doesn't stop it." He looked bitterly at the door and through the window to the empty hallway.

Tony didn't know what to do. He didn't want Loki to get hurt ever again but he also didn't want Loki to be taken away. "This can't keep happening," Tony said slowly. Even if Loki did go away, at least he would be safe.

"No," Loki said with a tone of finality. He pushed himself deeper under his bed sheet, turning his eyes away from them. "Maybe you guys should go home." Loki touched his forehead with a wince, squinting. He reached over and picked up a control and pressed the button. It released a small shot of drugs into his veins to stave off the pain.

Tony leaned forward. "Come on, Loks, just think about this at least," Tony tried to say.

"Just leave!" Loki snapped, glaring at the two of them. His hand was still pressed to his forehead in obvious pain.

That's just when Frigga and Odin decided to waltz in, stopping in the doorway. Tony had to hold back his glare and the few choice words he had for them. "What's going on?" Frigga asked softly, looking around the room. She held a steaming cup in one hand.

"Make them leave," Loki said, waving at Tony and Thor. He slumped back into his pillow and draped an arm over his eyes, effectively blocking everyone out.

Frigga looked uncomfortable but Odin had no problem stepping forward. "Boys, out. Go home and sleep," he barked at them.

Tony exchanged a look with Thor. This arrangement wasn't sitting well with either of them. Reluctantly, Tony stood, casting one last small worried look in Loki's direction before leading the way out of the hospital room. Behind him, Thor stopped in front of Odin.

Tony turned back to watch as Thor leaned in at Odin. "If you ever do something like that to Loki again, you'll regret it," Thor hissed. He turned away from his father and marched out of the room.

He moved to follow but paused. Loki had peeked up from his arm and his eyes were wide from what Thor had said. Tony wondered what it meant to him.

Loki looked at him and Tony gave him a half smile, trying to remain reassuring. Tony had to do something about this. If Loki wouldn't let them tell anyone, then Tony would find another way.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Loki sank further into his hospital bed. His mind was groggy and distant but he could still feel traces of the pain. The pain was fading but he still didn't feel like his self. Hopefully the pain would be completely gone by the time he went home in the morning.

The chair shifted beside his bed and Loki removed his arm from his face to look at his parents. Frigga was sitting closest and Odin had sunken into the chair next to her. He didn't look happy at all.

"You told them?" Frigga asked him.

"They guessed," Loki replied. "I didn't say anything."

Frigga took his hand in hers and smiled. "We never mean to hurt you," Frigga said. "Odin just has some anger issues."

Loki didn't even bother saying anything. These were his parents but they suddenly felt like strangers with familiar faces. He slipped his hand from Frigga's and looked away. "I won't say anything to anyone," he promised. That's what she was really after, Loki was sure.

Odin stared him down. A promise of backlash was in his eyes.

"We're going to need you to stop associating with Tony," she told him.

"Why?" Loki snapped in annoyance. "He and Thor are the only ones who care about me."

"We care just as much," Frigga choked out. She started crying again.

"We should have left him," Odin grumbled to himself.

Loki sat up, angry and agitated. "What the hell do you mean by that?"

Odin shrugged. "You aren't our son."

Suddenly Loki froze. "What?" he whispered.

"Odin," Frigga hissed. She turned to Loki, grabbing his hands, trying to comfort him. "Look, you're adopted, but that doesn't need to change anything!"

Loki didn't even know who Frigga was anymore. It's like in the last two days, she had swapped personalities with a psycho. There was a crazed look in her eyes and her hands clutched at Loki possessively.

"I'm adopted? What does that mean? What the _hell_ does that mean?" Loki's voice rose with each word. His heart rate monitor sped in its loud beeping noise.

Frigga looked at Odin and he immediately knew they wouldn't tell him. "Get out," Loki commanded. He pointed at the door aggressively, his whole body shaking.

"Loki," Frigga said sadly.

"Out!" He pushed the call button as he gestured wildly at the door. "Go."

A nurse appeared in the door. "Someone called?"

"Please remove my parents," Loki said. "I can't sleep."

The nurse looked unsure but Frigga stood, forcing Odin with her. She leaned over and kissed Loki on the forehead. "I do love you," she said. He turned his head away.

When Frigga finally left with Odin and Loki put his head in his hands. He didn't cry though. He just sat and thought and wondered. No wonder Odin treated Loki so bad. Frigga wanted him but Odin didn't. It seemed simple.

Loki thought about his childhood and it became more and more clear. Even before the incident in 9th grade, Odin had treated him in such an awful way. He remembered being yelled at, being glared at, being sent to bed early. Back then it had seemed so normal. It was the accident that finally changed everything, opening Loki's eyes to his father's true self.

No, Odin wasn't his father, he corrected himself.

Loki sat still for a long time. He felt alone and afraid. What would happen to him? Who was he really? Who were his parents? Why did he have to stay away from Tony? So many questions swirled through his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter wasn't my favorite, but I am promising some exciting chapters in the near future.


	25. Fragile Heart and Mind

Loki was a prisoner to his own family. A sense of dread tumbled over him as he made his way to his family's car the next morning. His legs shook from his still weak body and he glanced back at the hospital, feeling the loss of the safe environment.

Frigga held the car door open for him, smiling sadly. Thor already sat in the back seat and his expression continuously wavered between sadness and relieve of seeing his brother climb into the car with him.

The family said nothing as they drove away from the hospital. Loki had received his CT scan and it was concluded that he did not, in fact, have brain damage. He was just advised to rest for several days, have someone wake him up periodically that night, and to take care that his injury wasn't agitated any further.

Loki glared out at the sunny Saturday morning, watching as a few leaves fell from the trees as they drove on to the sound of the car's soft hum. Loki looked at Thor, who looked back. There was something in Thor's small smile that promised safety, but Loki wasn't sure he liked it. He'd been so independent his whole life and now people like Thor, Tony, and Bucky were rushing to defend him. This knowledge was both elating and terrifying.

They pulled up to their family home and Loki's eyes immediately flickered to Tony's. He hoped Tony was okay. Hopefully things had gone a lot more smoothly between Howard and Tony than Loki and Odin. Loki bit his lip, lost in thought.

He jumped in surprise when Thor clicked his seat belt off for Loki. "We're here," Thor told him. Thor was looking at him like he was a nut case.

"I know," Loki said roughly. The doctor had mentioned that Loki may have some issues with his memory over the next few weeks but if it got really bad, Loki was supposed to go back into the hospital for observation. They told him that the memory problems shouldn't persist, but there was a slight possibility for a long-term and more permanent problem. "I'm not an invalid," Loki continued, opening his car door. His words were harsh only because he was afraid of forgetting. He didn't want his memory to leave him.

"I know you're not," Thor said. His face was ridden with guilt, though.

Loki sighed and left the car, heading for the house. Frigga once again held open the front door for Loki. The small action irked Loki and he swept by her wordlessly. Thor followed closely behind him.

Odin had already excused himself to the living room to watch TV and Frigga was hovering worriedly behind Loki. Loki paid no mind to either of them, heading for the stairs up to his room. "Would you like some lunch?" Frigga called after him.

Loki stopped in his tracks and looked down at her from the top of the stairs. "No, I don't," he said shortly. He looked at Thor who had also stopped in the middle of the stairs.

Thor continued up the stairs, determinedly following Loki. Loki allowed him to do so and led him towards his room. He pushed inside and flopped down on his bed, exhausted. Thor closed the door and joined him, pulling Loki's chair out from his desk and taking a seat.

"You should call Tony," Thor said, taking out his phone as his phone bleeped as a new message came in. "He keeps texting me to ask about you."

"Odin took my phone," Loki said as he stared at the ceiling, "and my laptop."

"You can borrow mine," Thor said. He held the black phone out to Loki eagerly.

Loki took it but hesitated. His eyes went to Tony's ACDC poster on his wall. Did he really want to continue to burden Tony with his bullshit? It seemed that all Tony got out of their relationship was more stress, pain, and misery.

Sighing, Loki looked away from the poster, dialed Tony's number, and pressed the phone to his ear. It rang once and Tony answered immediately, "Thor?"

"It's Loki," Loki said. He couldn't help his smile at Tony's voice.

Tony breathed in loudly through the speakers. "Are you okay, Loks?"

Loki nodded, saying, "I'm good." He sat up slowly to prevent his head from pounding at the movement. He looked out the window and saw Tony already standing at his window with a hand pressed against the window. Loki gave him a small wave. "Hi," he said.

"Hi to you too," Tony replied, returning the wave.

Loki's cheeks hurt as his smile turned into a grin. Embarrassed, Loki averted his eyes from the window. "I'm sorry," he told Tony. A rush of emotion spilled through Loki as he said the words. He tried not to look at Thor.

"What for?" Tony asked softly.

"For everything," Loki said. Hot tears suddenly prickled at his eyes but he didn't let them fall. He had to be strong for Thor and Tony. "I just can't… I don't… No one can know about this." Loki had no other way to put it. His smile disappeared completely.

"I know," Tony said softly. "Thor and I will help in every other way we can."

Loki glanced at Thor, feeling a rush of gratitude for his not-brother. "Okay," Loki said. He waited a moment, hesitating in what he was about to say next. He looked out the window, catching Tony's eyes. "My parents want me to stay away from you."

"Howard said the same thing, but we still have school right?"

Loki nodded. "But we have to be careful. If Odin finds out…"

"I wouldn't do anything to hurt you," Tony said. Loki's heart swelled. "And… I think I love you."

Loki froze, caught in Tony's emotional gaze through the two windows that separated them. His senses flared as he tried to make sense of what Tony had just told him. He opened his mouth to say something, anything, when Tony stopped him.

"You don't have to say anything," Tony continued. "I just wanted you to know."

Loki was falling into pieces. He wanted to scream, to cry, and to hurt something. Loki could never deserve someone like Tony. Not in a million years.

"I'll call you later," Loki said stiffly.

"Okay," Tony said. Tony hung up first and Loki was left staring at Thor's phone.

"Loki?" Thor asked, clearly concerned.

"Can you close the curtains?" Loki asked shakily. He curled his fingers over Thor's phone, blinking back tears.

Thor was just pulling the curtains to a close when Loki promptly burst into tears. He pressed his hands over his face, dropping the phone, and let his tears fall freely. Thor slid onto the bed next to him and pressed his arm against Loki's. "What's wrong?" Thor asked.

Loki's emotions were in overload and his head still felt fuzzy and heavy. "Tony told me he loved me," he said sadly between gasps and tears.

Thor reached out to touch Loki but seemed hesitant. He eventually placed a heavy hand onto Loki's shoulder. "Isn't that a good thing?"

"No," Loki said, wiping away the tears.

Thor gathered Loki into his arms and pressed Loki into his chest. Loki fell into the hug gratefully; glad to feel the warmth and safety of his brother.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tony couldn't see Loki's reaction to his words but he didn't expect much. Tony's phone was still in his hand after he had quickly ended the call. He watched as Loki turned away from the window and Thor stood on the other side of him. Thor's face was stricken as he looked Loki and Tony wondered what that meant. What did Loki really feel about all of this? About him? He would need to know eventually, but right now, he was content with letting Loki he cared. He cared about Loki beyond what was rational.

Thor closed the curtains and Tony was left looking at Loki's house. He thought back to when he had held an unconscious Loki in his hands as he entered the hospital. He remembered the fear that Loki might be seriously injured, or worse. That fear is what spurred Tony into realizing what he just told Loki: he loved Loki and it was all that mattered.

He sighed, laying back into his bed. It would be hard to see Loki now. Odin and Howard were both watchful and ruthless. Their time together would have to be at school or when neither of their fathers were home. Their relationship was in for a roller coaster.

But Tony loved Loki. And he was sure that he and Loki could make it through it all just fine.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Loki calmed down not long after and pulled away from Thor. He looked at Thor and frowned. Thor was a great brother, today had proved that, but thing was… Thor wasn't actually his brother. It hurt Loki to think that he wasn't actually related to the one relative that actually liked him. "Thor," he said softly.

Thor, the attentive brother he was, looked at him expectantly. "What is it?"

He hesitated, watching Thor. Did he really want to tell Thor that they weren't related? What would come of it? A lump formed in Loki's throat and for a moment, he felt sick. No. He wasn't going to lie to Thor like he'd been lied to his whole life. "I'm not your brother."

"What?" Thor said. His eyebrows went together in confusion. "What are you talking about, of course we're brothers!"

"Mom and Dad adopted me," Loki said, looking away to his hands. "I'm not your brother."

Thor was silent, watching Loki. "Even if that is true," Thor said cautiously, "you'd still be my brother. No matter what."

Loki looked at him, angry. "My whole life is a lie! Don't you see that Thor?" Loki yelled at him. His hands curled into fists and he clenched his jaw, looking down into his lap. Black hair fell into his face, covering his expression from Thor. "You've been lied to, too."

"Our family isn't perfect," Thor said. He slung an arm over Loki's shoulders, causing Loki to look up. "But we have each other. Always have, no matter what. You're my brother and blood will not change that." Thor's eyes were fierce, matching his forceful words. Loki could hear the honesty in Thor's words.

Loki ducked his head, allowing himself another moment of weakness by resting his head on Thor's shoulder.

Honestly, back at the hospital, Loki had almost forgotten that he had two people that still loved and cared for him; Tony and Thor. And even though Loki could not yet say those three little words back Tony, he knew in his heart that he felt the same. Their love for each other was real and that fact was proven to Loki through series of events that had already unfolded before them. Loki just hoped that it would all be enough.

"I should probably get ready now," Thor said.

Loki looked up from his book. Thor had just spent hours sitting in Loki's room; Loki read while Thor surfed the internet on his phone. But now Thor was standing, getting ready to leave the room and Loki had no idea why. "What for?"

"The dance tonight. I have to pick Jane up in an hour," he said, looking at the time on his phone.

Loki looked at him perplexedly. "There's a dance?"

Thor stopped in his tracks, looking back at Loki with a frown. "Yeah, there's a dance. I told you yesterday," he said.

Loki frowned, thinking back, but he drew a blank. "No, you didn't. You never told me."

"I told you yesterday in the car…"

"The car…" Loki repeated, trying to visualize what Thor said. "We… drove to school together yesterday?"

"Yeah, it's homecoming weekend."

"Homecoming?"

Thor went still. "Yeah, you don't remember?"

Loki felt his stomach drop with fear. He really didn't know what Thor was talking about. "Oh shit," Loki said, panicking. "Am I losing my mind?"

"No, no, no," Thor said immediately, stepping towards Loki. "It's just one memory, you're fine." He paused, looking at his phone. "Maybe I should call Jane to cancel."

"No," Loki said, throwing a hand out to stop Thor from calling her. "I'll be fine… I'll…" Loki trailed off, lost for words. "No, I'm sure. I'll be fine. Go to the dance, it will be great!" His tone was laced with fake happiness, trying to encourage his brother to go. Everything would be okay.

Thor looked conflicted. "I don't know, Loki…"

"Just go," Loki insisted.

Thor looked down at his phone and then back at Loki. "At least take my phone and make sure you call Tony immediately if anything happens. Okay, Loki?"

Loki took it. He didn't try to hide his unease anymore. "Thanks," he said with genuine appreciation.

Thor nodded seriously. "You'll be okay?"

"Yeah," Loki said, smiling. "I think I will be."

He watched Thor leave, saying his goodbyes, before crawling under his covers despite the fact that it was only six PM. He curled into a ball and stared blankly at the wall. Loki's mind was plagued with endless thoughts of losing more memories.


	26. Locked Doors

The room had grown dark and Loki continued to lie on his bed. He felt numb and disconnected from his body. He'd just found out he was adopted, Tony told him he loved him, and Thor wasn't as idiotic as he used to think. Thoughts swirled in his mind, drowning him in their depths. Only the sound of a phone beeping snapped Loki out of his reverie.

He picked up Thor's phone and opened the message. The bright light from the phone temporarily blinded Loki, so he blinked until his eyes adjusted enough to read the message. It was a text from Tony.

**_is Loki okay?_ **

Loki smiled at the message. Tony really did worry too much.

_I'm using Thor's phone, Stark._ Loki typed back quickly.

Only a few seconds later, the phone buzzed again.

_**are you okay?** _

_Fine. You worry too much._

_**can i come over?** _

_Odin's home._

_**ill just come to the window then** _

Loki sat up in his bed and pulled back his curtains. Tony didn't even wait for his reply; he was already on his side of the roof, measuring the gap to jump across to Loki's house.

Quickly, Loki threw his bed covers off of his body and jumped out of bed. He switched on the overhead light, went to the mirror and examined his reflection. His hair was curled into a tangled mess. Loki huffed angrily and raked his hair through the small tangle until it fell loose.

Tony knocked at the window. Loki stood back for a moment, not wanting to seem as eager as he felt. His veins were alive and tingly as he thought about Tony and what he had said. Loki exhaled before going to the window, pulling it open. "Tony," he greeted with a crooked smile.

Tony sat down by Loki's window and smiled back. "Hey, Loks."

Loki crawled through the small space and pulled himself onto the shingles with Tony, sitting down slowly. The stars were out but they were half hidden by the clouds. Loki watched the clouds pass the full moon for a moment before looking at Tony. Tony's dark eyes twinkled in the moonlight. Loki's heart thudded.

"You should have stayed in bed," Tony said. "I would have talked to you from the window."

"I'm not broken," Loki said.

"Yeah, but I still worry."

"Thor went to a dance," Loki said to change the conversation. He didn't mention that he had a moment of memory loss. He wanted to forget about it, really… Wow, how ironic.

"Yeah, I heard," Tony said. "I wish I could have brought you."

"The kids at school would have a heart attack," Loki said.

Tony smiled. He reached up, took a lock of Loki's hair, and ran his fingers along it. The touch sent a shiver up Loki's spine. "I didn't freak you out, did I?" Tony asked.

Loki knew immediately what Tony was talking about; Tony's confession of love. Instead, Loki tried to play innocent. "Freak me out with what?"

He let go of Loki's hair and looked up at the sky. Loki followed his gaze and looked up too. The clouds had moved to reveal the Big Dipper. Loki smiled, knowing that that was the only constellation that Tony knew.

"I know that we've only known each other for what, a few weeks?"

"Two months yesterday," Loki corrected automatically.

"See, that's why I like you so much," Tony said. "You're the brains and I'm the brawn. We fit so well together."

Loki snorted. "I think it's the other way around."

Tony laughed and grabbed Loki's arm, comparing his skinny arms to Tony's toned muscular ones. "I'm going to have to disagree with you there, Loks."

Laughing, Loki yanked his arm away from Tony. "And yet, you still don't know how to fight properly."

"Yeah, that's one of my larger character defects."

Loki continued to smile but let the playful conversation drop away. He leaned back onto his palms, glancing up at the sky again. "Is it really possible to fall in love that fast?" Loki asked Tony.

He looked at Tony and felt his breath catch. Tony was looking at him as if he were the only person in the world. His eyes were soft and a fond smile rested on his lips. Loki had never thought anyone would look at him that way. "I think so," Tony said. He took Loki's hand in his own and laced their fingers together.

Loki looked down at their interlocked fingers. Tony's hand was larger than Loki's but Loki's fingers were longer and slimmer. Heat radiated from Tony's hand.

"I thought I almost lost you," Tony said, drawing Loki's eyes up to his face. There was a hint of fear in Tony's eyes now. "That's when I realized how I felt about you."

Loki's emotions fizzed all over the place. To quail his emotions, Loki pulled Tony to him in a fervent kiss. Tony kissed him back, melting Loki's insides. Their mouths moved together desperately and Loki couldn't get close enough to Tony, so he placed his hands on either side of Tony's face to deepen the kiss. Tony's hands went into Loki's hair.

It wasn't until Loki was gasping for air that they pulled apart. Loki panted and wiped at his lips. He felt lightheaded.

"How do you feel about me?" Tony asked. His hair was ruffled.

"I probably love you," Loki said shyly, looking down at his hands.

"Probably?"

Loki scrunched his nose. "You know what I mean. I just… don't know how I feel. It's too early to tell."

Tony nodded. "I expected as much. You're too complicated to make things easy, Loks."

"Shut up, Stark," Loki laughed, elbowing Tony in the gut.

Tony sighed and shifted nervously. "But you are saying there's a chance you love me?"

"I'm saying that there's a _big_ chance that I love you," he said.

Tony grinned and gathered Loki up for another kiss. Then he kissed Loki's nose before pulling away. Loki took out Thor's phone and opened it, taking a look at the time. It was approaching midnight, so Thor would be home soon.

"I'm going to go to bed," Loki told Tony, standing up.

"Okay," Tony said back softly. "Call me if you need anything."

Loki nodded and then slipped into his window, falling onto his bed. He looked back through the window to watch Tony cross their roofs safely and disappear into his own room. Loki sighed contentedly. Shutting the window and the curtains, Loki sat back on his bed and wondered if he would actually sleep that night. Moments later, a rough knock came at his door.

Loki froze. Who was it?

He stood and walked on shaky feet to the door. Loki didn't remember locking his door, but he unlocked it before pulling the door open. In the doorway stood Odin and he was holding a hammer.

Loki paled. "Did you need something?"

Odin brushed past Loki into his room. Loki followed him but kept his distance; his eyes were focused on that hammer in Odin's hands. "What are you doing?"

Odin didn't reply. He went to Loki's window and threw back the curtains. He took a nail out of his pocket, lined it up with the wood of the window, and slammed the nail into it. "Stop!" Loki yelled.

Odin pulled more nails out of his pocket and put them into his teeth so that he could one by one drive the nails into window, firmly sealing the window shut. "Why are you doing this?" Loki yelled at him.

Behind him, Frigga appeared in the hallway with wide eyes, still in her nightgown but didn't do anything. She only watched in fear.

Turning on Loki, Odin growled, "You were sneaking out with that Stark kid again. I saw you out there on the roof." Loki felt lightheaded. How much did Odin see? "Well this is going to stop that problem!" Odin waved his hammer at Loki before turning back to the window and driving another nail into sill.

Loki looked over to Frigga. "Aren't you going to stop him?" Loki asked her, enraged.

Frigga looked conflicted but she stayed back. "I'm sorry," she said.

Odin hammered three last nails into the window before stomping past Loki to the door. But it seemed Odin wasn't done yet. He grabbed at the doorknob and took out a screwdriver from his deep pocket and began to unscrew Loki's doorknob.

"What are you doing now?" Loki yelled at him. He went to Odin and grabbed his arm, trying to stop Odin from removing his doorknob. Odin turned and pushed him, causing Loki to fall to the floor on his back.

Loki picked himself back up but by then, Odin already had the doorknob off the door. He turned it around and placed it back into the socket, effectively turning it backwards. He began to screw it back in. "You're going to lock me in?" Loki cried, not believing his eyes.

"Yes," Odin said firmly, finishing the last screw and standing up. He slammed the door shut.

Loki threw himself at the door, prying at the doorknob, but he could hear the click of the lock and he knew he was locked in. "Let me out!" he shouted at the door.

"If you let him out," Odin voice rose up, directed at Frigga. "I'll kill him."

Hearing this, Loki froze, pressed up against the door. Odin's footsteps stomped away down the hallway until Loki was left in silence. Loki waited a moment, leaning against his door. "Mom?" he said quietly through the door. No answer. "Mom, please let me out. I know you're out there."

Frigga's light footsteps sounded beyond the door and slowly they faded away, just like Odin's. He was trapped in the only place in the house that was truly his own. Now it felt more like a prison than a safe haven.

He tried for the doorknob again and it twisted stiffly, stopping at the lock. It definitely wouldn't open from his side. He went to the window next and checked it. There were nails sticking out of the window haphazardly. Some were driven far into the window and would probably be impossible to get out, while others were bent and sticking out at odd angles. He tested the window, attempting to pull it open. It was useless. The window did not budge. "Fuck," Loki said.

He sat down on the floor, feeling dizzy from all of the excitement. Loki closed his eyes and leaned back against his wall, trying to focus but his head was buzzing.

Not long after, a door slammed downstairs and Loki sat up, forcing himself to focus. He went to his door, pressing his ear to the wood, listening. Undistinguishable voices rose up from the first level. He hoped silently that it was Thor coming up the stairs.

Loki waited in silence as the footsteps made their way down the hallway. The steps stopped in front of the door and the person knocked. Relief washed over Loki. That had to be Thor. "Thor," Loki said through the door, choking back tears. "Can you let me out? Please," he begged.

"What is wrong with your door?" Thor asked, effectively unlocking it and opening it in confusion.

Loki hugged Thor immediately, ruffling Thor's dress clothes, and Thor stumbled in surprise. "Whoa, what's wrong?" Thor asked.

He knew that he'd only been locked in his room for only a few minutes, but he had felt like he was suffocating in there. "They locked me in," Loki said, holding onto his brother tight.

Thor forced Loki away from him to get a good look at Loki's face. "They did what?" he growled.

Odin appeared at the top of the stairs. "Thor, go back to your room. Loki needs to stay in his."

Thor turned on Odin. Loki had never seen Thor look so pissed off. "I am so tired of you picking on Loki. What did he ever do to you?"

"Move aside, Thor," Odin said, moving in Loki's direction. Thor stepped in front of Loki.

Thor yelled, "I am so sick of this family! Why would you even think that locking Loki in his room would do any good? I swear to God, I will call Child Protective Services myself!"

Odin roared in rage, and punched his son in the face, throwing him flat onto his back with a loud crack. A second later, Thor was down on the floor, clutching his face. Surprise and shock held Thor on the floor. This was the first time Thor had ever been hit by their father.

"You fucking asshole," Loki growled, looking at Odin. "You're hitting Thor now too?"

"What's going on up here?" Frigga asked, coming up the stairs.

Loki ignored her and ran at Odin, punching Odin in the gut. The punch barely caused a flinch on Odin's face and he promptly backhanded Loki. Loki fell backwards and his head hit the floor with a thud. Stars burst behind his eyelids as pain radiated through the wound that was already there on his head.

"Loki!" Thor voice called through the haze. Large hands clutched at his arm.

Loki blinked and forced himself up, looking at Thor. He bit his lip as nausea filled his throat. "I'm okay," Loki said roughly.

"The hell you are," Thor said. He stood and placed himself in front of Loki as Odin watched with cold eyes. "Go to bed, Odin," Thor commanded, splaying his arms out to act as a barrier between his father and Loki.

"Loki needs to-"

"Loki doesn't need to do anything," Thor said. "Go to bed."

Odin's gaze flicked between them before he snorted and turned on his heel, heading down the hallway to his and Frigga's room. He went in and slammed the door behind him.

Frigga stepped forward, looking at Loki on the floor. "Are you okay?" she asked shakily.

"You have no right to ask him that," Thor said, pointing at her forcefully. "You are just as guilty of this as Odin."

"I'm sorry," Frigga said softly.

Thor pointed down the hallway. "Go."

She bowed her head in defeat, looking away from her boys, and dragged herself down the hallway towards her room. At her door, she looked back one last time before disappearing inside with Odin.

Thor sighed and turned back to Loki, looking down at him. "Did the wound reopen?"

Loki touched the back of his head and winced. It wasn't bleeding but his head wound was tender to the touch. "No, it didn't." Loki attempted to stand but he stumbled, almost falling back to the ground. Thor caught his arm.

"Here, let me help you," Thor said. He laced his arm under Loki's arms and pushed him upward onto his feet. "Dizzy?"

"Yeah," Loki said, blinking. The world was moving a bit too much for Loki to keep his balance.

Thor led Loki back into his room and to his bed. Thor hoisted him onto the bed and laid him down slowly. "I should have stayed home," Thor miserably. His face was stricken with guilt while the bruise on his cheek grew hideously. "This is my fault."

"It's not your fault," Loki said. How could Thor even think that? "And I told you to go, remember?"

Thor huffed, pulling the covers over Loki. "Yeah, but I shouldn't have listened." He paused, thinking. "I'm going to get your medication. Did you eat anything today?"

Loki shook his head and Thor stood. "Okay, I'll be right back," he promised.

Thor must have run the whole way because he was back in a flash with the pill bottle, a box of granola bars, and a tall glass of water. He set it all down on Loki's desk. The bottle clicked as Thor opened it and he dumped two pills into his hand to pass it to Loki. Loki popped them into his mouth and took the water, swallowing a large gulp.

Sitting down on Loki's bed, Thor unwrapped a granola bar and passed it to Loki. Loki chomped into what tasted like wood shavings gratefully. He hadn't realized he was hungry till that moment.

"Do you want me to stay here tonight? I have to wake you up a few times anyway," Thor said. His gaze was hard on the open door as if he expected some threat to come bursting through door right at that moment.

Loki wanted to say no, that he would be okay, but he felt his resolve crumble. He needed Thor right now. "Yeah," Loki said softly.

Thor nodded, moved the door so it was almost closed but not quite, switched off the light, and slipped under the covers with Loki. They hadn't done this since they were kids. Loki moved back against the wall, facing Thor, while Thor had his back to the door, facing Loki. "Thank you," Loki said quietly into the dark.

"You don't need to thank me," Thor replied. "Go to sleep now."

Loki sighed and closed his eyes.


	27. Caught On Camera

Tony was out of his mind by Wednesday morning. Neither Thor nor Loki had shown up at school over the last few days. Tony was pretty sure Loki could get kicked out of school if he missed too many days, but he had a feeling Fury was manipulating the records in one way or another.

He knew that they were both okay; Thor texted him frequently to send him updates on what was happening with Loki. Loki was resting up, just like the doctor told him, and Thor was staying with him as added protection. He didn't trust Odin alone with Loki and Thor was right to his fears. Who knew what he was capable of?

The worst part of it all was that Tony had no control or influence on what happened with the brothers. He feared that Loki would get hurt without him even knowing.

Thor had told him everything that had happened on Saturday. How Loki was adopted, how Odin had gone into a rage, how Loki had forgotten about Homecoming… Things were going to shit for Loki and Tony just wanted to be there for him. Luckily, Thor and Loki were coming to school today.

He was waiting in the school parking lot, leaning against his car. Kids were loitering around the front of the school and some watched Tony. It was weird; the more days that passed, the more Tony noticed how many stares he got from his classmates. It was unnerving. He made eye contact with Thanos who waved at him, grinning madly. Tony promptly flicked him off.

The sound of Thor's clunky old car as it entered the parking lot with a sputter turned Tony's attention away from Thanos. He watched as Thor looped around to the other side of the parking lot, not yet noticing Tony standing by his own car. Tony followed quickly, heading in the direction of their car. When he reached them, Loki was already closing his car door, his backpack slung over his shoulders.

Loki looked better. There was color in his cheeks, his eyes were bright, and he smiled when he spotted Tony.

Thor followed more slowly, watching his brother protectively.

"Loks," Tony breathed. His voice was doused with heavy relief. He hadn't realized how tense he'd been until his shoulders relaxed at the sight of his boyfriend.

Loki walked toward Tony but did not dare touch him, seeing Thanos and his friends watching them from a nearby picnic table. "Do you want to go somewhere?" Loki asked quietly, his eyes darting away from Thanos and back to Tony. Tony felt the same as Loki. He didn't need anyone picking apart their relationship or eavesdropping on their private conversations. Sometimes Tony wished the whole world would drop away so he could be finally completely alone with Loki.

Tony nodded before glancing at Thor. "I've got it from here, big guy. Go find Jane."

Thor shifted anxiously and looked at Loki. Loki gave him a fond smile and nodded. Thor practically beamed; it was obvious that Thor was so unused to being in Loki's good graces. "I'll see you in Chemistry," Thor said. He left to where Jane was already waiting for him on the sidewalk, sending a wave over his shoulder at the two of them.

Loki's eyes went to Tony's. "Did I miss anything at school?"

"Nothing much goes on around here without you," he told Loki. It was true. It seemed that the rumors and fights were almost nonexistent without Loki's presence.

Loki led the way around the side of the school to a private area away from prying eyes. It was the space of the school between the parking lot and the football field where the gym was located. So it meant no windows and no eavesdroppers.

Making it into the shade of the gym, the two dropped their bags and Tony pressed Loki gently against the side of the building, pushing him into a soft, delicate kiss. Loki's hands wrapped around Tony's neck and pulled Tony closer to him. He sighed into Tony's lips.

"Don't do that," Tony whispered against Loki's lips. His heart was fluttering painfully.

"Do what?" Loki panted before kissing Tony again.

Tony laughed. "You're being too cute. I think I'm going to die of overload." He opened his eyes to watch Loki but laughed hard when he saw the miffed expression on Loki's face.

"Never call me cute again, Stark," Loki said roughly. He smashed their lips together again but Tony just kept laughing against Loki's lips.

Huffing, Loki pulled away and leaned back against the wall to watch Tony. "Yeah, keep laughing. It's so hilarious."

Tony stifled his laugh and bit his lip to stop himself. "You're funny, Loks."

"And you're ridiculous."

Tony grinned and pressed his forehead to Loki's, watching his amazing green eyes. He admired their deep green shade beyond everything else. Tony breathed Loki in. "Are you going to tell me you love me, yet?" he said quietly.

Loki smiled. "I like to keep you in suspense."

"So cruel," Tony said, clutching at his chest dramatically.

Loki shook his head, amused, and grabbed a hold of Tony's shirt, pulling Tony to him. Loki's lips locked with his and once again Tony was intoxicated with Loki. He'd never thought he would have someone he would care so much about, let alone the scrawny abused boy in front of him. He was happy he was forced to move to this school now. Tony would give away everything he had for Loki.

Then they heard the snap of a camera.

Both froze, afraid of what of they might find. Slowly, Tony opened his eyes and pulled away from Loki to look at the culprit. Thanos was standing just by the corner of the school, holding his phone out in their direction. "Perfect shot," Thanos said.

"What did you just do?" Loki said dangerously, pulling himself away from Tony. There was a hint of fear in his angry tone.

"I think I will send this photo into the paparazzi. I'm actually surprised they hadn't found you yet, Tony."

Tony paled. "Don't you dare."

Thanos turned the photo around, showing them the close up photo of Tony and Loki kissing. The photo was clear. There was no denying of who was in the picture. "I think I'll send it right now," Thanos said, turning it back to himself and clicking at the screen.

"Don't," Loki growled.

"What are you going to do to stop me?"

"What do you want?" Tony asked. "Money? I can give you anything." He was desperate. Howard, Odin, and the press had no business in Loki's relationship. He wasn't going to let this picture get sent out without at least trying to stop it.

"I want your humiliation," Thanos said.

"What do you want mean?" Tony asked.

Thanos laughed at Tony. "I want you to watch as Loki sucks me off."

Loki's face dropped into complete horror and disgust. "You sick bastard," Loki hissed. "I would never do that."

"You will if you want this picture deleted."

Loki looked completely devastated. Tony knew that Loki was still a virgin and that he and Loki hadn't gotten that far yet… There was no way in hell he was letting Loki do this.

"You're going to delete it," Tony growled. "And you are going to walk away. Got it?"

Thanos shook his head. "It's your choice. What's it going to be?"

Loki's eyes flashed to his. "Maybe I should…"

"No!" Tony said, shocked that Loki would even offer. "No way in hell!"

"I'm waiting," Thanos said, waving the phone at them.

Loki's eyes widened with panic. "Tony…"

Tony pointed at Loki first. "No, you're not." Then he pointed at Thanos angrily. "And no, he won't."

"Fine," Thanos shrugged. He went to click something on his phone but Tony lunged at him, tackling him to the ground. His phone flew a few feet to the left. "Grab it, Loki!" Tony cried, trying to keep Thanos down. Thanos thrashed under Tony's hard grip. Within seconds he got one arm free.

Loki tried to run by and grab it, but Thanos grabbed Loki's ankle. Loki plunged to the ground. Clutching at his stomach, Loki hissed and again tried to reach for the phone.

Thanos threw Tony off and pushed Loki away from the phone. He grabbed it for himself. "Oh no you don't!" Tony said. He jumped onto Thanos's back, trying with all his might to knock Thanos down.

Loki got to his feet and swung a punch right into Thanos's gut. He hissed and went down while Loki clutched at his hand. Without warning, Thanos flopped onto his back to pin Tony painfully against the ground, knocking the air from Tony's lungs. Thanos rolled off and, as he did so, he tripped Loki. Loki went down while Thanos rose triumphantly.

Tony scooted over to Loki who was sitting up again without hesitation. "I'm fine," Loki said, standing with Tony's help. Tony gripped Loki's arm to keep him upright.

"Alright, last chance," Thanos said, once again taunting them with the phone.

"You're not touching Loki," Tony said.

"Then this photo is going out," he said with a grin.

Loki suddenly swung his leg out and pummeled Thanos in the shin. He fell to the ground. Before Thanos could react, Tony quickly climbed on top of the bastard, pinning him down while Loki yanked the phone from his hand.

"Delete it, Loks," Tony said, glaring into Thanos's face.

Thanos laughed as Loki looked at the phone. Loki's face paled.

Tony froze. "What is it?"

Loki looked up in horror. "He already sent it."

Shock froze Tony in place only momentarily. Then he turned and punched Thanos right in the face as hard as he could. Thanos's laugh died in his throat and he curled into himself whimpering as he clutched at his face as blood burst from his nose. Tony wiped Thanos's blood from his knuckles without sending a second glance at Thanos.

Numb, Tony took the phone from Loki's hand, deleted the photo, and dropped it onto the asshole's chest. He turned back to Loki, taking Loki into his arms. "It will be okay."

"No it won't," Loki said, looking right into Tony's eyes. "It won't."

Tony had nothing to say. Both of their fathers were unpredictable, vicious, mean men. Some major shit was about to go down.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Loki made it through the day without hyperventilating, but as soon as the school bell rang, he was out the door and into the parking lot, looking for Thor's car. He didn't remember where they'd parked, though. It started to rain and the wet droplets showered Loki until he was completely drenched through. His hair stuck to the sides of his face.

"Loki!" Loki nearly jumped out of his skin from Tony's shout and he turned to look at him in surprise. He was walking towards Loki and was being closely followed by Tony. "We were supposed to meet at our lockers, remember?" Tony's eyes were full of worry.

Loki frowned, not remembering that at all. "Were we?"

Tony and Thor exchanged a worried look and Loki did his best to ignore them. He was not losing his mind, he refused to believe it. "I need to go home," Loki told Thor. "Where did we park?"

Thor sighed and led the way towards their car. "So what happened?" Thor asked, looking at them anxiously. Tony had only told him snippets of the situation.

"Thanos got a picture of us," Tony said, catching Loki's eye. "And he's sending it out to everyone."

"Odin's going to kill me," Loki said. He folded his arms to stop them from shaking.

"He's not going to kill you," Thor said forcefully but his face had turned pale with worry.

"I have no idea what's going to happen when Howard finds out," Tony said, frowning.

They all went quiet, letting the rain pour down over them. None of them wanted to go home.

"Help me break into Odin's office," Loki said suddenly. The other two looked at him as if he'd gone mad. "Come on. Odin and Frigga are working late tonight. They won't know a thing."

"What for?" Tony asked with narrowed eyes.

Thor looked terrified. "Father never lets anyone into that room."

"I want to know who my birth parents are," Loki said. "Please, help me."

Tony groaned. "We can't say no to that."

Loki grinned. "Come on. Let's hurry and go home."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are just spiraling for our boys, aren't they?


	28. Truth

By the time they got to Loki's house, Tony was feeling uneasy. Loki seemed so determined though, moving quickly to the house right through the pouring rain. There was no hesitation. He dropped his stuff on the floor and bee lined for Odin's office.

Thor caught up to Loki and grabbed his arm just in time to stop him from going straight inside. "Perhaps we should stop and think about this," Thor told him. "This could be an emotional response to everything that has happened. Maybe we should wait… at least until we are all dry."

Tony moved to stand next to Loki. "He's right, you know," Tony said. "Maybe we should let a few things blow over before we start ransacking Odin's office. You might find out some things you don't want to know."

Loki looked betrayed. "I think I have a right to know who my real parents are," he said. His eyes were tightened into a glare.

"That's not what we're saying," Tony said softly. "I'm saying that we should calm down before we start making rash decisions."

"I'm calm," Loki said through clenched teeth.

"Look," Tony said. "We're already freaking out about the picture. Can't we focus on that before we dive head first into something else?"

Loki's face morphed with a look of pure exhaustion. "I just want to know," he said softly. "Before Odin sees the picture, I just want to be able to control this one thing. Okay?"

When Loki looked at him like that, he couldn't help but give in. His eyes pleaded with him and his lips were parted as he breathed softly. Those damn puppy eyes. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"More than anything else," Loki said, looking at Odin's door. "I want know what my parents are hiding." Loki snarled the words, disgusted. Tony just hoped that the truth would be what Loki was looking for.

"Okay," Tony said, turning to Thor who was blocking the entrance. His eyes were on Loki and he cast Loki a crooked smile. "No matter what," Thor said, "you're my brother. No matter what."

Loki nodded, acknowledging his words, but didn't say anything. "Let's get this over with," Tony said, gesturing to the door.

Thor opened it slowly and all three held their breath. It felt like a burglary to open that plain wooden door but honestly, it was just a completely ordinary office. It wasn't what he had expected at all. A large desk sat in the middle of the room, two large book cases behind it, and table with stacks of papers on the far side of the room. It didn't look evil or menacing or anything!

The three stepped inside, silent. It was going to be difficult to search this place. There were piles and papers and files all around the room and Tony was sure that Odin had a method to the madness. He wondered if Odin would notice if they touched anything. "Where do we start?" Tony asked.

"I found Loki's computer," Thor said, looking down at the table. "And his cell phone." He picked it up and offered it to Loki.

Loki shook his head. "Odin will notice if that's gone."

Thor put it back and walked along the rest of the table. Tony moved in the opposite direction and went to examine the bookshelves. Some shelves were stuffed with books but on others were a few meaningless knickknacks and a few picture frames. The one immediately in front of Tony was a photo of Frigga and Odin, both holding hands with a small version of Thor. It must have been when he was two or three.

Tony moved on, wondering if there was a photo of Loki at all in this office. The next few were of Frigga mostly and a couple of Odin when he was younger, but still no Loki. It wasn't until he reached the end of the bookshelf that he found one. Frigga was sitting in a chair in a kitchen, holding baby Loki, while Thor stood on his tippy toes, trying to look at the baby's face. Frigga leaned over the two and it looked like she was whispering something to Thor.

Tony picked the picture frame up and showed it to the others. Thor took the frame, grinning, while Loki looked at it more wistfully. "This was taken the first time Loki was brought home, I think," Thor said. Thor was probably right. Loki still wore the little blue hat that they distributed at the hospital.

"Wait," Loki said. "That means they adopted me right after I was born?" He frowned and pressed his lips into a thin line. "So my real parents didn't want me…"

Tony wanted to hit himself for even showing Loki that picture. He put out his hand for the frame and Thor passed it back to him. Tony placed it back on the shelf and said, "Let's keep looking."

Tony skimmed the rest of the bookshelves, looking for anything out of place, Thor rummaged through Odin's desk, and Loki slowly leafed through the piles on the table. They worked in silence while a sense of urgency continuously pressed down on them. "When is Odin coming home?" Tony asked, pausing in his search with a large book in his hand.

"Not till six," Thor said, opening the next drawer.

Tony checked his phone. It was only four. They had plenty of time to look. Even if they didn't find anything, at least they would know that they checked everything. Tony continued pulling book by book from the shelves. At each book, he would quickly skim through the pages, checking for anything inside.

After a while, Loki sighed, slumping down onto the stool in front of the table. "It's just all legal stuff," Loki groaned.

"So Odin's a lawyer?" Tony asked, throwing a book back onto the case.

"Yeah, he's a lawyer," Thor answered, moving through his last drawer. "You didn't know that?"

Loki watched them, expressionless. "Looks like this was a major waste of our time."

"Wait!" Thor said, popping his head up from the other side of the desk. "I think I might have found something." He pulled himself to his feet holding a few sheets of paper.

"What are those?" Loki asked, hopping off the stool. He braced the edge of the desk.

"Birth records," Thor said. He spread them out on the small empty space on the desk. "Here is mine," he said, pointing to his own. Tony leaned over Thor's shoulder to look at the sheets. Thor's read just as it was supposed to. The parents were listed as Frigga and Odin. But when Thor moved Loki's certificate into view, they all frowned.

"Isn't it supposed to list the birth parents on these things?" Loki asked, clearly frustrated. The certificate stated Frigga and Odin as Loki's birth parents. "This makes no sense."

Tony frowned. "This is only the hospital issued birth certificate…" he trailed off, thinking. "They're not official documents, if I remember correctly."

"Or maybe you're actually related to us and they just lied," Thor said with a shrug.

"Why would they do that?" Loki asked. He pressed a hand to his forehead and rubbed tiredly.

Tony watched Loki worriedly. He wondered if Loki was getting another headache. "Should we stop?"

"Let's see what else in that drawer," Loki said, moving next to Thor and stooping down to open it. He began angrily moving through the folders, searching for any information.

Tony turned back to his book shelf. "I'll just… look through the rest of these." Tony didn't think it would do any good but he did anyway.

Together, Loki and Thor looked through every folder in the drawer and still came up with nothing. Tony was just about to call it quits when he grabbed a random book and as soon as he took it off the shelf, several papers fell from the inside all over the floor. "Shit," Tony said in surprise, bending down to pick them up.

He felt the brothers watching curiously as Tony started to gather the newspaper clippings into his hands. His hand froze on one particular clipping. It was an article titled, _Baby Stolen from Local Hospital_.

"Holy shit," Tony said.

"What is it?" Loki asked. Loki and Thor stood, heading over Tony. Tony felt his heart drop into his stomach. This was not good at all.

Tony held the article out to Loki and he took it slowly. Loki's eyes widened and ran across the top of the article. Loki inhaled sharply. "Stolen baby?"

"There are tons of them here," Thor said, looking through the articles on the floor. Thor sounded disgusted.

"Newly born baby of Laufey and Farbauti Jarson went missing on Friday from the Fairfield Hospital after being taken out of the nursery without authorization," Loki read stiffly. "Video cameras identified a petite woman, late twenties, leaving the hospital with a small bundle cradled in her arms. The identity of this woman is still unknown…" He trailed off, looking up from the article. He looked physically shaken.

"No," Thor said, covering his mouth in shock.

"Odin and Frigga stole me," Loki said, looking at each of them before returning his gaze to the article, "from a fucking hospital in Ohio!" Loki took the article and crumpled it into a tight ball and thrust it across the room. "This is bullshit."

Loki dropped quickly to the floor and spread the remainder of the articles across the floor. Tony read the article titles over Loki's shoulder. They were all about the baby's disappearance from Ohio and the police's search for the child. There were pictures of the distraught parents surrounded by three other little boys that had a striking resemblance to Loki. These were his older brothers.

"I'm a fucking stolen baby," Loki choked out. He leaned away from the articles and wiped away tears as they flooded his face.

Tony went down on his knees and wrapped an arm around Loki, doing his best to comfort him. Tony wasn't very good at comforting people and his inability was obvious at this moment. Thor just stood above them, staring at the article in his hands. "This is ludicrous," Thor said. His face stormed with rage as he looked from the article to his crying brother.

Loki shook off Tony's arm with a growl and stood, kicking the articles with fierce rage. "Fucking assholes," Loki hissed through his tears.

Without warning, Loki grabbed Odin's lamp and threw it at the wall with a clang. The lamp shattered to pieces, flying everywhere, and it left a sizable dent on the cream colored wall. Not satisfied, Loki cried out and pushed several piles of papers and folders off the desk and they rained down on the floor.

"Loki, stop!" Tony yelled, grabbing Loki's arm. They were in deep shit. There was no way they could put this back in time. Even if they did, it would still be obvious that they were in here.

Loki yanked his arm from Tony, grabbed every photo of Odin, and smashed them to the ground one by one, slamming them as hard as he could into the carpet. The glass shattered all over the floor. Loki turned back to the book case and he went to grab the picture of Frigga, Thor, and him, but he faltered.

Tony stepped forward, wondering what Loki would do. Loki reached for the picture and took it gently. Tears were still streaming from Loki's face but Tony saw more pain now than he had ever seen on Loki's face. Loki held the picture close and slowly slid down to the floor, sitting in the glass. He pressed the picture to his chest and began to sob.

Tony sat by him immediately. He was silently furious. What causes someone to steal a baby?

Loki turned his head and pressed his face into Tony's neck, continuing to cry. Without hesitation, Tony wrapped his hands around Loki.

Tony was afraid.

Odin's office was a mess, their picture had been sent to the tabloids, and Loki was hurt in more ways than one. Tony didn't know what he could do to fix this. Could it even be fixed?


	29. Breathe You In

Loki breathed heavily. He was an emotional mess and he couldn't get himself to stop sobbing all over Tony. He tried to match his breathing with Tony's, trying to slow down. It was just that the whole situation seemed so insane. Who steals a goddamn baby from the hospital and gets away with it?

He saw the pictures of his real parents in the articles. They looked so much like him that it was unbearable. How could he not know he was 'adopted' this whole time?

And the looks on their faces in those pictures was what hit Loki the most. His real parents looked devastated in every picture. Loki had never seen _Odin_ look that worried about him. His so-called parents have never been that afraid to lose him. His 'parents' were psychos.

Loki turned his head away from Tony's neck to look at Thor through his tears. Thor was leaning against the book shelf, lost in thought, with a hand over his mouth. His frown told how much Thor was confused by this whole new development. Loki sympathized with him; Thor was related to the bastards after all.

He looked over at Tony then. Tony was already watching him with a steady gaze. He was so attentive that it hurt. Suddenly it all made sense why his parents wanted Loki to stay away from Tony Stark. He inhaled sharply. "They've been hiding me all this time," Loki said. The realization settled heavily in his chest. "That's why they covered up the car accident. It's because they don't want someone to somehow find out that I'm stolen."

Tony's gaze sharpened. "Shit. Now that picture is…"

"Do you really think people will figure it out from one picture?" Thor asked, frowning. Loki didn't think so either. They would just be random kids in the news. It's been sixteen years since Loki was stolen. Why would anyone suspect that he was related to the kidnapped Jarson baby?

"Probably not, but Odin seems to think so," Loki said. "He's not going to react well."

"Just like he's not react well to this room," Tony replied.

Loki froze, just realizing the extent of the havoc he had induced on Odin's office. Glass and paper were everywhere and there was a glaring dent in the wall. Loki paled considerably. "Fuck," he whispered. He hadn't thought about anything when he trashed the room; he'd just been so angry.

Hastily, Loki wiped all traces of tears from his eyes and knelt over the glass, trying to scoop up the shards into the trash. The magnitude of his actions were just crashing over him, reminding what Odin was capable of. The thoughts only made him work faster.

"It's too late for that now," Thor said, catching Loki's hand. He looked somber and serious. It wasn't a good look for Thor.

Loki dropped his handful of glass into the trash but winced when a shard lodged itself into Loki's hand. He hissed and raised his palm to look at it. It was small and just starting to bleed. Easily, Loki tugged the shrapnel from his hand, causing it to bleed faster but he just placed his hand over the wound to stop the flow. Pain like this didn't bother him.

"So what are we going to do?" Loki asked, looking around at the mess.

Thor shrugged. "There's not much we can do," he said. "We can't put this mess back…"

Loki sighed. "Tony, you should go back to your house before Odin comes back. Thor, don't get involved. This is all on me."

"No," Tony said angrily. Loki looked at him in surprise. Tony frowned deeply and his body tensed. "I'm not leaving you alone with him. Every time I do that, you get hurt. I'm not letting that happen ever again."

Loki was speechless. Tony was staring him straight in the eye with a look that said, _don't argue with me_. Loki instead interlaced their fingers and Tony's expression immediately softened.

"Well, since I'm doomed already, why don't we just escape for a while?" Loki asked.

"What do you have in mind?" Thor asked.

Loki smiled at them. "Let's go look at the stars."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A while later, they arrived at their cornfield where they liked to star gaze. Tony had invited everyone they were friends with: Pepper, Clint, Natasha, Bucky, Steve, Jane, and all of Thor's friends (unfortunately). They in turn invited many more. So it was a random party on a Wednesday night in the middle of a cornfield. If anyone drove down this deserted road, they would immediately know what was going on. There were tons of cars parked along the side of the road.

Looking around, Loki was satisfied to see that Thanos wasn't at this party. It meant that he would not be bothered tonight. Even Fandral was keeping his distance. Thor must have put him in his place.

Tony nudged him and Loki turned his attention back to him just as Tony placed a mixed drink into his hands. "What is it?" Loki asked, looking at the red drink suspiciously.

"You'll like it, I promise. Try it!"

Loki grimaced but brought the plastic cup to his lips. His face instantly soured with the sharp taste. "It's strong," Loki said. His nose was wrinkled as he fought against the lingering taste. He didn't often drink alcohol.

"It's a Strawberry Stripper!" Tony said with a laugh. "I thought it suited you."

Loki laughed. "Shut up, Stark."

There were people all around them in the narrow clearing of the corn field. They were lost in the crowd, essentially anonymous in the dark. The only light came from cell phones and the flash lights people held. Everyone had brought their own booze, stealing it from their parents' liquor cabinets, and they pooled it all together at the center of their clearing. Tony had brought a ton from his own house, claiming Howard wouldn't notice.

Tony grabbed Loki's arm and gestured to the opposite side. Loki squinted but grinned when he realized it was Thor and Jane, making out. "I called it," Tony said, taking a drink from his cup.

"And look over there," Loki said, gesturing to Bucky and Steve who were talking nearby. Their eyes were only on each other and no one else and they stood abnormally close together.

Tony grinned. "Steve is too shy and Bucky is too clueless. Someone will have to push them in the right direction." He winked at Loki.

"Nah, we better let them figure it out on their own," Loki said. He looked fondly at Stark. "You know a couple months ago I would have never guessed I would end up here."

"Yeah, a lot has happened," Tony said. "You, me, and everything else."

At his last few words, Loki's smile wavered as reality set in. What was waiting for him at home… He really didn't want to think about it.

Tony caught onto his thoughts and squeezed Loki's arm. "Come on. Follow me," Tony said.

Curiosity distracted Loki while he followed Tony into the thick stalks of corn and down the rows. The leaves flapped against Loki's face and he held one hand over his drink as he walked. He wasn't letting spiders drop into his drink! No way.

The sound of the small party faded behind them until they were further into the field. The moon drifted directly above them and the stars burst with light. Tony stopped abruptly and Loki bumped into him. Tony turned to him. "We could get lost in here, couldn't we?"

Loki rolled his eyes. "Of course not. We would just have to follow the stars."

Tony's eyes were on his, full of emotion. Even though Tony's face was shadowed by the night, Loki could feel the love radiating from Tony in that moment.

His drink was taken from his hand and Tony set both of them onto the uneven dirt. "What are we doing out here?" Loki asked.

"I thought we should be alone," Tony told him with a devious smile.

Loki smiled. "Trying to distract me from the impending doom?"

"Of course," Tony replied. His tone wasn't joking anymore, though. His eyes morphed with worry and fear.

Loki sighed but took the initiative in pulling Stark into a hug. Although Loki was slightly taller than Tony, Loki had a smaller build; so it felt like he was being pulled into a warm blanket when Tony returned the hug. Loki's heart leapt and a powerful urge to tell Tony he loved him overwhelmed him. He gathered his courage. Yes, he would make himself say it tonight.

Loki took in a deep breath, ready to whisper the words into Tony's ears when suddenly Tony pulled out of the hug to look at Loki's face. "What do you think will happen tonight?"

He huffed, a little frustrated by Tony's sudden change in subject, but dragged a hand across his forehead to clear his thoughts. "I don't know," Loki whispered. He looked into Tony's eyes and somehow his courage grew. "I'm not just going to sit around anymore. I saw what Odin did. I'm not going to let him bully me anymore. I have something to hold over him now."

"I have to go with you," Tony said, pressing his warm hands into Loki's cold palms. "I have to make sure that you're okay."

"Thor will be there," Loki tried to reassure him. It did not change the fierce expression on Tony's face.

"No, I'm going to be there," Tony told him. "You're everything to me, Loki, and I will not forgive myself if something happens to you again."

Loki pressed his forehead to Tony's. "Let's just focus on this moment, okay?" Loki said. He didn't say it, but Loki felt something foreboding in their future. His veins were alive with adrenaline.

On impulse, Loki kissed Tony. It was light and soft. He had yet to say those words Tony wanted to hear but he did his best to convey his feelings through this kiss.

The kiss went on for a few seconds but then Tony's lips went slack against Loki's, forcing Loki to open his eyes and look at Tony. "What is it?"

There was this frown on his face that made Loki breathless. "I just have this bad feeling…" he trailed off and looked off to the side, as if confused by his own feelings. So Tony felt the same as Loki. Something was going to happen tonight. Loki could feel it in the air.

Loki didn't try to contradict Tony but said, "No matter what it is, we'll be okay."

"You don't know that for sure," Tony said quietly. "Maybe this is all my fault for not being more careful around Howard."

Loki glared at him. He really thought that? "You're an idiot," Loki said flatly. "This stuff probably would have happened sooner or later. Besides, you're the best thing that's happened to me in a long time."

Tony smiled and traced his fingers along Loki's cheeks affectionately. Loki's heart lurched at the contact. "Look at you, suddenly so sentimental."

Loki face heated. He covered his red face, beyond embarrassed. "Shut up, Stark," he said through his hands. "You're a jerk."

"I may be a jerk but I'm also _the best thing that ever happened to you_ ," Tony taunted with a sly grin.

He groaned, burying his face deeper into his hands. "I should have just kept my mouth shut."

"Ah, don't say that," Tony said. "You're just so adorable."

"You're an ass."

Tony laughed, grabbed Loki's wrists to pry them away from his face. Loki tried to resist but Tony was slightly stronger than him and he pulled Loki's hands away from his face easily. Holding Loki's wrists, Tony kissed him once more.

"I love you, Loks," he told Loki, pressed against his lips.

Loki breathed in and prepared to say the words back when Tony's ringtone sounded, breaking the moment. "Hold on," Tony said, digging his phone from his pocket. "It's Thor," he said when the screen lit up. He immediately answered. "Yeah?" Pause. "We're not far. We'll come back." Another pause. "Don't get your panties in a bunch, big guy. We're on our way."

Tony hung up and looked at Loki. "We should have grabbed your phone before we left your house," Tony said. "Thor is out of his mind worried. Let's go back before he starts a search party for us."

Loki nodded, following Tony as he steered them into the corn again. Their drinks were left behind. Loki stepped over the uneven ground carefully, watching the back of Tony's head feeling more than a little wary. They could drag out this party as long as they wanted but eventually they would have to go back home. Loki wasn't sure what would await them, but he was sure that something horrible was in store for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, yes. This is a more fluffy chapter and not too much is going on, but... Yeah, I have nothing else to say about it. I just needed some fluff before things go down.
> 
> ALSO, I am going on vacation this week, so I'm not sure how soon the next chapter will be up, but I will promise a chapter for sure on Monday. It all depends if there is internet access.


	30. Ultimatum

The three of them tried to stay out as long as they could that night. Thor had gotten several missed calls on his phone from both Frigga and Odin but he disregarded all of them, opting to ignore the situation for just a while longer.

Eventually the time reached 4 AM and Tony and Loki were sitting on the front of his car, leaning back against the windshield. Loki had long fallen asleep and he slept peacefully with his hair strewn across his face. Tony watched the rise and fall of his chest silently.

Thor had gone to drop Jane off back at home and had promised to be right back. The rest of the party had deserted since school was only in a few hours. The two were alone.

A few minutes ticked by and a bright car light appeared from town, heading towards them. Tony waited, watching the car intently until it slowed down near them and pulled over on the opposite side of the road. Tony was instantly relieved to see that it was Thor getting out of the car.

"Should we head home?" Thor asked. Tony could hear the heavy and exhausted tone to his voice. He was just as wary as Tony.

"I'll wake him up," Tony said, turning to Loki on his left.

He nudged Loki softly and Loki shifted, groaning. "Rise and shine, Loks," he said, trying to keep his tone light.

Loki rubbed his eyes and sat up slowly, looking around at his surroundings. "Where are we?" he asked.

"The cornfield. Come on, we have to go," he told him.

Loki frowned in confusion. "What are we doing here?"

"The party we just had, Loks? Do you remember it?" Tony asked cautiously. Loki's memory had been a little out of sorts lately but it had only wavered a few times. Tony was afraid that this was another of those times.

Loki looked at them, narrowing his eyes as he concentrated on remembering. "The party…" he said, prompting the memory.

"Yes, a party in the field. We slipped away for a while…" Tony watched Loki's face for any sign of recognition.

Suddenly Loki's eyes widened dramatically as the memory dawned on him. "Oh, yeah. We're hiding from Odin," Loki said, nodding to himself.

"You remember now?" Tony asked.

Loki looked annoyed. "Yes, Tony, I remember now." His tone was laced with frustration but Tony knew that Loki was directing it only at himself.

Thor looked especially worried. "Has this been happening often, Loki?" Thor asked.

"Not much," Loki said, glancing away. "Let's just go." Loki turned away to get off the car. Tony almost missed when Loki touched two fingers to his forehead briefly. Tony filed it away under things they would have to talk about in the near future.

The drive back to their houses didn't take long but it felt long under their lingering silence. They pulled into Tony's driveway while Thor pulled into his own. There was a light still on in Loki's living room. They got out of the car slowly.

"Nice of you to finally come home," Howard said, causing both Loki and Tony to jump in surprise. Tony felt his spirits plummet. Howard was sitting on the front steps of his house with his hands clasped across his knees. "Perhaps you should come inside, Tony."

Tony glanced at Loki. He'd planned on joining Loki in entering their house to make sure Loki would be okay, but now… He didn't know if he could deny Howard his request. "It'll be okay," Loki said, gesturing for him to go inside his own home.

"I'll see you later," Tony said for only Loki to hear.

Loki's gaze shot briefly to Howard and back to Tony before he turned on his heel to march across the lawn to where Thor was already waiting by his car. Tony watched him until he reached Thor before he turned to Howard, angry. "Whatever you have to say to me, just say it. I have better things to do with my time." He looked over at Loki again.

"Like I said, come inside," Howard said, standing. He led the way into the house, gesturing for Tony to follow.

With no other choice, Tony dragged himself after his father.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Tony's not coming?" Thor asked as soon as Loki reached him.

Loki glanced back at Tony who was currently speaking with his father. "Howard was already waiting for him," Loki explained, looking back at Thor.

Thor nodded, understanding, and turned to their house with a deep breath. "Stay behind me, Loki," Thor said.

Loki wanted to protest but Thor was already going to the front door, unlocking it. Loki, with his nerves buzzing erratically, followed his brother to the threshold of their home. The door clicked open and Thor pushed inside the dark foyer while Loki followed much slower. The house was eerily quiet.

They stepped further into the house and towards the light in the living room. Against the far wall, Frigga was already seated in a high-back lounge chair and her eyes met theirs as soon as they entered the room. Loki and Thor gasped at the sight of her. She had a marring bruise across the left side of her face that had turned a sickly blue, purple and green.

"Dear God, what happened?" Thor asked. Fresh concern filled his face.

"Not important," Frigga said. "Where have the two of you been?"

Loki exchanged a look with Thor. Thor was the one to say, "At a party…"

"You could have answered one of my calls," Frigga said, her eyes raking over her two sons. "I was worried sick."

"We had other things on our mind," Loki said harshly.

Frigga's soft eyes went to his and Loki blanched. There was so much motherly affection in her gaze that Loki was left thoroughly confused and uncomfortable. "You saw it, didn't you? That's why you wrecked Odin's office? I saw it all on the ground."

"You stole me," Loki bit out, his anger building. "Why would you do something like that?"

"I had a miscarriage," she said simply. She didn't look apologetic or ashamed at all.

"So you thought you would steal a goddamn baby?"

"I will not apologize for what I did," Frigga said roughly. Her brows were drawn together angrily. "It was the best decision I've ever made because I got to have you in my life."

Loki breathed out in exasperation. How could she talk about stealing a baby so casually? It was baffling enough that they even had to have this conversation. "You're lucky that I was able to calm Odin down and force him to bed before you returned," she continued. "He was furious about his office." She said all of this calmly.

Thor was staring at her with wide eyes. Loki stepped forward. "I'm lucky? Really? Because being told I'm lucky I didn't get beaten by my dick of a fake father doesn't exactly make me feel lucky! I feel like shit, Mom!" he yelled at her. "Someone out there wanted me and you took me and locked me away, telling me to keep my head down! Did you ever think about how that would make me feel?"

She stood with wide eyes, looking up at the ceiling. "Be quiet, you'll wake Odin."

Loki felt tears brim over, streaking down his cheeks. "Is that all you care about? Odin? Why do you even stay with him after all he does to you?" Loki gestured at the bruise on Frigga's face.

Frigga looked sad. "Oh, Loki. You wouldn't understand love. After I took you, Odin protected us. He hid our family. He used his inheritance to make us invisible. You can't possibly know love like that," she spoke passionately.

Beside him, Thor looked utterly disgusted. Loki felt the same. "No, Mom. People who love you don't hurt you. They make you into a better person." Loki thought of Tony and how Tony was always there for him, always looking out for him. That was true love, Loki was sure of it.

"You're too young to understand," she said.

Loki scoffed. "Come on, Thor. Let's go," Loki said.

He and Thor turned to leave but they both froze. Thor took half a step in front of Loki. Odin towered over them, looking extremely tired and pissed, and he was blocking their access to the front door. Well, shit.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Howard didn't stop or pause on his way to the kitchen to check if Tony was following. Tony followed nonetheless, feeling queasy as he watched the strong back of his father. There were few times in Tony's life that he could remember a pleasant time with his father and they were all before his mother's death. Even before that, his father had been a stoic and angry man.

Entering the kitchen, Howard switched on the bright, blinding light and pulled out a stool at the counter. He pointed at it. "Sit."

Tony, feeling resentful, sat down in his appointed seat and watched for any glimmer of emotion from his father. It was hard to tell what he was thinking. "So what's this about?" Tony asked, squirming in his seat.

"I told you to stay away from Loki," Howard said gruffly, walking to the other side of the counter. There was an open laptop beside Howard, inches away from where Howard was standing.

"He's been going through some crap," Tony explained. "I can't just leave him alone with all of that. His father is a psycho." Howard's firm expression did not change.

Slowly, his hands went to the laptop and he pushed it to Tony, turning it for Tony to see. Tony instantly went pale. On the headline news for the New York Times, from the city Tony used to live in, was a picture of Tony and Loki kissing against the school gym, both with their eyes closed. It was Thanos's photo.

"Shit," Tony said, going cold.

"Shit is right," Howard spat. "It's all over the news. They know where we live now and they are all screaming about how the famous playboy, Tony Stark, is gay. I did not need this on our company's reputation!"

Tony stared at the screen. The caption read, _Who is Tony's Mystery Boyfriend?_ Tony clenched his teeth. He'd thought by now that the tabloids would have lost interest in his life. It was none of their business who he spent his time with!

"Those leaches from the press will be all over this town by tomorrow morning, I can guarantee you that," Howard said angrily. "You just couldn't behave, could you?"

Tony had nothing to say. It was overwhelming. "What about Loki?"

"What about him?" Howard's eyes flashed dangerously.

"We have to do something to protect him from all of this," Tony said, pointing at the screen. "We can't let the press mob him!" Loki didn't know what it was like to be followed everywhere he went and there was no way Loki would be prepared for it by _tomorrow_.

"Not my problem and it's no longer yours, either," Howard said. He pulled something up from the floor and slammed it down on the counter. It was a large suitcase. "You're leaving, tonight."

Tony stood abruptly, knocking his stool to the floor. "No way! I'm not going anywhere!"

"I'm sending you to boarding school," Howard said. His voice was filled with finality. There would be no arguing on this.

"No, I'm not leaving. I'm not leaving Loki!"

"You are," Howard said darkly. "Or I will send the press right up to Loki Odinson's doorstep. Would that please you?"

Tony was devastated. "You wouldn't do that."

"If you pack your things right now, I will make sure the press never meets Loki. He will remain anonymous. All you have to do is come with me tonight."

Tony breathed shallowly. It was hopeless; that much was obvious. "You're really going to make me do this?"

Howard only stared.

Engulfed with anguish, Tony pressed a hand to his forehead in disbelief. He wrestled his phone from his pocket. "At least let me say goodbye," he said. His voice was strangled with emotions.

Howard snatched the phone from his hand. "Pack now or I call the press."

Tony stared at Howard, then the phone in his hand, then at the luggage on the counter. Silently, he weighed his options but the outlook didn't look good. "Fuck you, Howard," Tony said harshly. He grabbed the suitcase from the counter and swung it to the floor with a thud. "Fine. You win, asshole. I'll go."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does anyone feel as torn as I do?


	31. Separation

Odin stared at them with distaste. Something was brewing in that messed up brain of his and Loki wasn't sure he would like what it was. Thor and Loki waited in tense silence. Frigga moved from the living room to stand near the boys. Her injured face was much more hidden by the dark of the hallway.

"We should all just go to bed," Thor said evenly. "There has been too much hurt and anger tonight. It would be best if we talked about this calmly in the morning."

Odin snorted, not amused. "The two of you were in my office today, against my direct orders, and even trashed it. This will not wait until the morning."

"You deserved it," Loki snarled. "You've kept me in the dark all these years, letting me believe I'm a part of this family, but really I'm just your stolen prize. Something you got away with. If I didn't break into your office, I would never have known the truth!"

"We were going to tell you," Frigga said.

"When?" Loki yelled, turning on her. "You didn't so eager any time I asked about it."

"There was no reason to break into my office," Odin boomed, turning Loki's attention back to him.

Loki wanted to rip his hair out. These fools were beyond idiotic! "It was hardly _breaking in_. The door was unlocked." Loki's anger was growing and growing. "And you know what? I'm glad I broke your stuff because you are the most treacherous piece of shit to walk this Earth!"

Thor laid a heavy hand on Loki's shoulder, forcing him to catch his breath. He was seething, consumed with hate, and his stomach churned.

During all of this, Odin only watched him with a bored expression. It only made Loki angrier. But then Odin said, "Do you know what I heard from our neighbor, Howard, this evening?"

Loki's blood ran cold. There are only a few things Howard could or would say to Odin and they were all bad.

Odin continued, "He said that he found his son's face across all of the news kissing you of all people." Loki couldn't read his father's face but the anger was evident in his voice.

"Loki, you're… gay?" Frigga asked with obvious interest in her eyes.

Loki looked away and down at the floor, letting his hair fall into his eyes. Loki hadn't even thought about labeling himself yet. He didn't know if he was exclusively into guys; he hadn't even thought about it before now.

He wanted to gauge Odin's reaction but he didn't dare look up. His secret was out now to his parents and the realization sent a tremble into his hands. How would Odin react?

"If you even dare to judge Loki by his sexual orientation…" Thor began. Loki cringed at those words.

"I don't care if the boy is gay," Odin snapped. Loki's head shot up at these words, wide-eyed. Odin was glaring at Thor. "It's the articles in the papers that I'm worried about."

Loki didn't know how to feel. On one hand, Odin didn't give a shit about his sexual orientation, but on the other hand, it meant that Odin only cared about staying hidden. Loki ground his teeth together but didn't say a word.

Odin continued his rant, "Now your face is out there for all to see. Who knows what could come of this! I used so much of my time to keep this family away from the public eye and you had to ruin it with one picture. You stupid, worthless child!" Each of Odin's words bit into Loki, festering like a wound.

"They're not going to connect Loki to a baby that was stolen sixteen years ago!" Thor yelled back. He shot a frustrated look to Loki. "Just give it a rest, for the love of God!"

Odin turned on Thor with a threatening glare in his eyes. "Don't you fucking talk to me like that, Thor!" he spat, jabbing a finger in Thor's direction.

"So my name's all over the news?" Loki said more to himself than to the rest of the family. It was just sinking in. Everyone would know about this at school. He paled. It wasn't that Loki was embarrassed of his relationship with Tony, it wasn't that at all! It was the thought of Thanos taunted him with his win, it was the looks the kids at school would give him.

"Your name wasn't given," Odin said, "but it's only a matter of time before there are reporters at our door, asking about your life history. And after that, who knows! They'll find out that we stole a fucking baby and created a fake birth certificate and it will be entirely your fault!"

Maybe it was the yelling, maybe it was the fear, but Loki instantly broke in tears. He tried to stop the flow but they just coming in an endless stream. Loki realized that he'd cried more in the last few months than he had in the two years before. Dear God, what was happening to him?

"You can't blame this on him!" Thor yelled back. "How would he know that someone would take a picture of him?"

"He's useless, always has been, always will be," Odin said.

If Loki had any love for his father, it was gone now. He felt empty inside.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tony stomped up the stairs to his room, lugging the suitcase with both hands, and threw it down in the middle of his bedroom floor. "Fuck," he hissed to himself, looking around his room. Howard wanted him to go with him immediately, so he wanted Tony to only grab the bare essentials. But everything in his room was essential! Actually, above everything else, Tony wished he could pack Loki in his suitcase and take him with him.

Speaking of Loki, Tony went to his window and peered out at Loki's house. The windows were still dark, excluding the living room on the first floor. He wouldn't even get to say goodbye to Loki. Tony's chest throbbed. He didn't know Loki's phone number by heart and he didn't know Loki's email and he was pretty sure Loki wasn't on Facebook, so…

Hurriedly, Tony opened the middle drawer of his desk, searching for a pen. There were only markers. Tony cursed but grabbed a blue marker and a notebook and wrote a fast message for Loki. This would have to do for now. He would find another way to get back in touch with Loki.

"Tony?" Howard said from the hallway, Tony threw the note aside before Howard could see it and went straight to his dresser and started pulling out clothes at random, dropping it into the luggage. Howard appeared at the door. "Don't pack too heavy. The movers will be here at the end of the week to take the rest of things."

"Where are we going?" Tony asked. He paused to look at Howard, gripping a random shirt in his hands.

Howard smiled. "I'll tell you on the plane." He turned and disappeared down the hallway.

Tony shoved more clothes into his bag before taking his computer and shoving it into the bag, too. He zipped up the luggage and turned back to his desk. The note was lying there, facedown. He picked it up and rummaged through his desk again, looking for tape. When he finally found what he was looking for, Tony taped the note up to his window, letting it face Loki's house. He decided to leave the window unlocked for Loki.

With both his tasks done, Tony paused to stare at Loki's room, lost in thought. Before he'd met Loki, he had no purpose and he cared about nothing. He was living in perpetual grief for his mother and lived by creating scandals and attending wild parties. Never in his life had he thought that he would fall in love. Honestly, before Loki, he thought love was a myth, like it was something made up by adults. His parents never really seemed in love, at least not until his mother died. Even then, Howard's grief seemed misplaced. At the time, most of Tony's friends had divorced or single parents. It was odd to be told that love existed but never witness it.

Then he'd come to this crappy town and Tony was only excited to see Pepper again. Nothing else held his interest. That is, until he met the two boys sitting on the roof across from his window. And there was Loki. Tony wished he could say that his love for Loki was at first sight, but it wasn't. He had just developed an extreme curiosity for the lonely, dark-haired boy. Then, somewhere along the way, he'd fallen in love with him.

Tony's heart ached. He didn't want to leave this place but he knew he had to. This was for Loki's own good. Besides, it wouldn't be forever!

But it still hurt.

"Tony, are you done yet?" Howard's voice echoed from down the hall.

Tony ripped his eyes away from Loki's house and he yelled back, "Yeah, coming!" He grabbed the handle of his bag and gave Loki's window one last backward glance before continuing down the hallway.

Howard was waiting at the door for him and he took Tony's suitcase right from his hands, leading the way out the door. Tony had the rising suspicion that Howard knew that his laptop was in that bag and that was the reason that Howard was shoving it into his trunk so enthusiastically.

"What about my car?" Tony asked.

"I will have a driver take it when the movers come for our things," Howard said simply. It didn't even give Tony the option of driving himself. Howard was serious about all of this. "Get in the car."

Tony followed Howard's instruction lifelessly and got into the passenger seat, buckling in. He looked up at Loki's house, memorizing it and thinking of Loki. Then a thought hit Tony hard in the gut. He didn't have a picture of Loki anywhere! Why didn't he take a picture?

He forced himself to breathe. No. This wasn't permanent. He'd see Loki again, he was sure of it.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Thor, Frigga, and Odin had started yelling at each other all at once and Loki's head began to pound. His headaches were infrequent since his head injury but when one did appear, the headache was strong and painful.

"Would you all shut up?" Loki snapped, pressing a hand to his head.

Thor immediately turned away from their parents, instantly worried about Loki. "What is it? Another headache?" he asked his brother.

Loki nodded but didn't say any more. That was all it took for Thor to run to get Loki's medication.

"Oh, it can't be that bad," Odin grumbled. "Just suck it up."

Loki's mood plummeted further, if that was even possible. His anger, combined with his headache, caused him to immediately punch Odin in his smug face. Blood burst from his nose, Odin howled, and Loki smiled in satisfaction, clutching at his aching hand. "Does your head hurt, Odin?" Loki taunted, getting a little amount of glee over Odin's pain.

Odin's face darkened and he raised a hand to strike back, but Loki caught Odin's wrist and pushed him away from him. Then Loki backed away.

Thor arrived just then, slowing his pace as he caught sight of Odin's face. Thor didn't seem happy or angry with Odin's state. "Come on, Loki," Thor said, grabbing Loki's arm.

Loki followed Thor upstairs, leaving Odin staring after them in the foyer. "Fucking worthless," Odin repeated again.

Thor and Loki ignored him, disappearing down the hallway and into Thor's room. Loki had been spending much of his time in Thor's room due to the state of his window and doors. He and Thor had tried to change the doorknob back into its rightful position but they couldn't find any tools around the house. Odin hid them.

After taking his meds from Thor, Loki collapsed onto Thor's bed, exhausted. Thor closed the door but did not sit. Instead, he paced the room. "When I graduate and go to college, I'm taking you with me," Thor said, looking right at Loki. "I don't care if I have to take out a bunch of loans or work five jobs, you and I are getting out of this place."

Loki was speechless. "You don't have to do that."

"I'm not leaving you here," Tony said fiercely. "Besides, they can't stop us. I'll threaten to tell someone about their abuse and they'll have to let you come with me. You aren't going to be alone here," Thor said.

Loki listened quietly and didn't contradict his words but he knew that he would never go with Thor. He wouldn't be that kind of burden on Thor. Maybe if their situation was little different, if Loki knew that they could make it on their own, he would go with Thor. No, Loki would stay here with Tony. At least he had Tony.


	32. Radio Silence

"I should probably call Tony to let him know I'm okay," Loki said. It was a subtle hint for Thor to hand over his phone, which he did. Loki went straight to Tony's contact number, pressed call, and waited. The phone rang a total of five times before it went to voicemail.

"He didn't answer," Loki said, pulling it away from his ear and ending the call.

"He could be busy," Thor said, taking the phone back.

Loki continued to lie on Thor's bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking. What could Tony be busy with? Yes, he could be talking to Howard, but that wouldn't stop him from answering a text or two. "Send him a text and tell him to call right away," Loki said flippantly, looking up at Thor.

Thor nodded and started to write out the text while Loki turned his attention back to the ceiling. His eyelids were heavy and it was late at night. In only a few hours, they would have to get up for school. It hurt Loki's head just thinking about it.

"Perhaps we should get some sleep," Thor said. He yawned after his words, revealing how tired he was.

Loki sat up slowly. "Did Tony reply yet?"

"It's only been a few minutes," Thor said. "He could have gone to bed."

That didn't sound like Tony at all, especially not when he had been so worried about Loki just an hour ago. Loki swung out of bed. "You can go to sleep, Thor. I'm going to go over to Tony's."

Thor looked relieved at the prospect of sleep but he said, "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Odin can kiss my ass," Loki said, going to the window. He opened Thor's window and slipped easily outside. He turned back to Thor. "Leave the window unlocked so I can get back in."

Thor nodded and threw himself onto bed, already half asleep. Loki turned his attention on Tony's house and moved silently closer to his own window. He cast a sideway glance at his window, noticing the nails in the top of the wood. Loki glared at it in disgust.

He looked away and focused on the roof across the gap. Gracefully, Loki leapt across to the opposite roof on light and quiet feet. When he reached the other side, Loki frowned. There was a white piece of paper taped to Tony's window but Loki couldn't read it through the darkness. Loki moved closer.

Loki squinted at the sheet. Tony's handwriting was scrawled across the page but it was still unreadable. Instead of waiting around and trying to read the blasted thing, Loki tried the window. He smiled, finding it unlocked.

He dropped through the open window and landed in Tony's messy room. Loki looked around. Tony wasn't in his bed and the drawers to his dresser were all pulled open. Odd.

Loki turned to the lamp on Tony's dresser and switched it on, sending a warm light across the room. Where was Tony?

He spun on his heel, ripped the note from the window, and read:

_Loki, I'm sorry. I'll try to call soon. Howard's an ass._

Loki stared. What was this, some kind of riddle? Loki set the note on the top of the dresser and looked at the open drawers again. There wasn't anything really inside the drawers. Just a few articles of clothing but not nearly as many as there should have been.

The rest of the room looked relatively normal. Everything was in place as it always has been. Loki stared for a split second before forcing his feet forward to the door and out into the hallway. "Tony?" he whispered. He felt a weight settle in the pit of his stomach as he ventured through the house, looking for his boyfriend.

Loki looked everywhere in the house and nothing seemed out of place. It was only Tony's note and dresser that made it all strange. Loki had even braved a look into Howard's room and found it empty of the man. Eventually Loki looked out the window for Tony's car. It was there but Howard's car wasn't. What the hell was going on here?

"Tony!" Loki said loudly and his voice pierced the silence, making Loki feel out of place.

Loki ended up going back to Tony's room. His mind was clouded with confusion and he sat down on Tony's bed with the note in his hands. He stared at it. "What does this mean, Tony?" he whispered to the empty house.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Loki woke up to the scent of Tony and the warmth of the sun on his face. He sighed happily and shifted under the covers. Then he frowned. Loki was still wearing his jeans; that wasn't right. Blurrily, Loki sat up and rubbed at his eyes, peering around.

He was in Tony's room. How did he get here? He frowned, yawned and blinked slowly. Where was Tony?

He looked at the space between him and the wall and found a crumpled note lying there. Loki smoothed out the note and read it. Suddenly he remembered. The realization fell onto him, crushing him and making it hard to breathe. Tony wasn't home and he left a weird note. What did it all mean?

Loki scrambled out of bed, glancing at the time on Tony's clock. There was only fifteen minutes until he had to get to school. He raked his fingers through his hair and went to Tony's dresser and pulled out the first shirt he could find. ACDC, of course it would be that.

A small smile appeared on Loki's lips as he struggled out his current shirt and put on Tony's. When Tony saw him wearing this at school, he would flip! Loki couldn't wait.

Loki pocketed the note and left Tony's house, shutting the window behind him. He made his way back to Thor's window where Thor was already waiting for him. Loki came in through the window and Thor snorted. "You stayed over there long," he teased.

Ignoring him, Loki took out the note Tony had left and held it out to Thor. "This was on his window. What does it mean?"

Thor took it, reading with a frown. "I have no idea. What did he say about it?"

"He wasn't there, obviously. That's why he left the note," Loki said. He was completely drained.

"He wasn't there at all?"

"I'm thinking that he'll still be at school today," Loki said, looking out the window at Tony's car. "Howard might have just taken him somewhere." Even as Loki said this, a hopeless feeling was settling in his chest. The Starks had left at such an early time in the morning. Would they be back the next day?

The expression on Thor's face was full of pity. "He could be there today…" Thor offered. "Or at least by the end of the week… Howard was gone too?"

"Yeah," Loki said, taking the note back and staring at it.

Thor didn't say anything but Loki noticed the look in Thor's eyes. "Don't look at me like that," Loki said roughly. "Tony will be back, like you said, by the end of the week. Just keep your phone charged. He'll call."

Thor schooled his features back into a neutral expression and nodded. "You're probably right."

"Of course I am," Loki said. "Now let's go." He led the way out of Thor's room, determined to get to school.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Loki knew, in the back of his mind, that Tony wouldn't be at school but he was still disappointed when he wasn't there. As the day progressed, Loki's mood continued to slip into deep depths of despair. Without Tony, the school seemed less bearable. Perhaps Loki was overreacting, after all it had only been less than a day, but Tony had left so abruptly without a goodbye. It was hard to understand what that meant.

"Tony?" the chemistry teacher called out, taking attendance. "Is Tony Stark here?"

Loki fiddled with his pencil and glanced at Tony's empty desk. Thor was talking to Jane, clearly not as worried about Tony as Loki was.

The teacher made a mark in his attendance sheet and moved on.

The question of where Tony had gone and Tony's silence gnawed at Loki through the rest of the day. Between classes, Loki found himself at Thor's locker, demanding to check if Tony had sent a message. He had not.

It wasn't till lunch that Loki confronted Pepper, the closest person to Tony. "Have you seen him?" Loki asked desperately. He sat down at the table without a lunch. The rest of his friends all looked at him curiously.

"Tony's gone?"

Loki groaned, dropping his head into his arms. "Tony left me this note," he said, passing it to Pepper across the lunch table. He kept his face in his arm as he waited. Pepper read it before passing it on to Clint, Natasha, Bucky, and Steve.

"He left it last night?" Pepper asked in confusion, grabbing the note back from Steve to give it a second look.

"Yeah, he just left out of no where. He's not answering any of my messages…"

A concerned frown appeared on Pepper's face. "I'll try his phone and his email and I'll let you know if I hear anything."

"Thank you, Pepper," Loki said. He felt slightly better that he wasn't the only one worried. Slightly.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Loki spent Thursday night curled up on his own bed, refusing to go with Thor to his room or anywhere else. He wanted to be left alone indefinitely. It had almost been a full day without hearing from Tony and he was so worried. His fingers shook and he had to hold them to his chest to stop the tremor. Or maybe that was because he hadn't eaten today.

Thor forced him to take his medication and had set a sandwich and grapes on his bedside table but Loki wasn't hungry. He was too preoccupied by the sinking feeling of abandonment.

It's only been a day, he tried to remind himself. One day didn't mean anything. Tony would be back and he would call him and everything would be okay.

Friday, Loki went to school feeling wary. As he had predicted, Tony was once again absent from school and there was still no word from Tony. Not even Pepper could get a hold of him.

"Please eat something," Pepper said, pushing her own tray of chicken nuggets towards Loki. "You look really pale."

Loki's stomach did feel hollow, but the sight of food didn't make him feel any better. Then he realized that everyone at the table was staring at him. "You really should eat," Steve said worriedly.

Sighing, Loki picked up a chicken nugget and took a slow bite of it. He had to admit that now the food tasted amazing. He hadn't realized that he was this hungry. Pepper encouraged him to eat the rest of her food, which he did, and she left the lunchroom, promising to do everything she could to get in touch with Tony.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

By Saturday morning, Loki was disgusted with himself. He felt like a love-sick teen who was moping after a break-up. He felt like fucking _Bella Swan_. Loki immediately hid himself under a pillow, seething with self-hatred, for even knowing that reference.

Loki peeked out from his pillow to look at his ACDC poster. He didn't know what to think anymore. It's been three days without any contact with Tony and it was killing him. Where did Tony go? Why wasn't he trying to call Loki or at least Thor? Granted, Loki's phone was still in Odin's office, but Tony should have at least contacted Thor, right?

Suddenly the rumble of a vehicle sounded outside Loki's house. Hope flooded through Loki and he shot out of bed to the window. Loki froze. A moving truck was backing into the front of Tony's house!

"No," Loki whispered, staring with wide eyes. "No, this can't be happening."

Loki launched away from the window and quickly traded his oversized shirt for a full outfit. He didn't care what he put on.

He left his room in a flash and went into the kitchen, surprising the whole family. He'd been stubbornly avoiding Frigga and Odin, making sure that he didn't see their faces since their fight on Wednesday night. Now he blatantly marched into the kitchen to lean over the sink to look out the window at the moving truck.

"You're up!" Frigga said brightly. Odin just continued to ignore Loki, repositioning his paper.

Thor, who had been sitting with his back to their parents at the counter, looked out the window at what Loki was staring at. "Is that a…?"

Loki nodded. "It's a fucking moving truck," Loki growled.

Thor abandoned his cereal and went to stand by Loki to watch as the movers opened the back of the truck and slid a ramp out to the pavement. Thor quickly took out his phone, checking for any messages. Loki knew by Thor's tense jaw that Tony still had not contacted them.

"Tony's moving and he didn't even tell me," Loki said miserably.

"Good. It's about time," Odin said, looking up from his paper. "Howard told me that since they were leaving, the press would stay away from this town. You should be grateful."

Loki spun in Odin's direction. "You knew about this?"

Odin just sipped his coffee.

"I'll kill you!" Loki roared. Thor grabbed Loki's shoulders to hold him back. "What else do you know?"

Odin's dark gaze snapped to Loki's. "They're gone and they're never coming back. Just move on."

Tears pricked Loki's eyes and he yanked his shoulders from Thor's grasp. He headed to the front door, refusing to let the tears fall. Thor followed swiftly behind. Loki pushed the door open, marched across the front lawn and stopped in front of one of the movers.

"Can I help you?" the man asked.

"Where are the Starks moving?"

The man glanced back at his coworkers, who were already working on pulling a couch out the front door. "I'm sorry, kid. I can't tell you that."

"No, you have to tell me. I need to know!"

"It's a matter of privacy," the guy said. "I'm sorry but I can't help you."

Loki opened his mouth to yell at him but Thor appeared in front of Loki and pushed him back towards their lawn. "Loki, be reasonable," Thor said. "Tony said he would call, so he will. Just be patient."

"Give me your phone," Loki demanded.

Thor handed it over without a word and Loki immediately called Tony. The phone rang and rang and rang. With each rang, Loki could feel all of his resolve leaving him. The voice mail started and Tony's voice said, " _You know the drill, leave a message_."

The voice mail beeped and Loki sighed. "I sick of listening to your voice mail message," Loki growled into the phone. "The more I listen to it, the more I want to strangle you." He paused briefly, gathering his thoughts. His tears flowed.

"You're an asshole, you know that Tony? Why aren't you answering? You said you would call, so why haven't I heard from you yet, huh? I swear I will kill you when you finally call me back because three days is ridiculous, Tony. There had to been a pay phone somewhere. You must've had a brief moment away from your fucked-up dad!" Loki sucked in a shaky breath. "Look, we're all worried. Me, Thor, Pepper, everyone… Just answer one of us and tell us what's going on because I'm worried sick."

Loki looked over at his shoulder at Thor who was keeping his distance. Loki's tears dripped down his neck and he rubbed at them helplessly. "Fuck you, Tony. You made me cry. You know how I hate doing that." He let out a breathy, laugh. It was obvious he was in hysterics. "Just… call me, okay? And Tony… I love—"

The phone beeped, signaling the end of the message. Loki let out a frustrated growl, glaring at Thor's phone. "Damn it," Loki said. He held out the phone for Thor which Thor took, watching Loki closely. "I'm fine," Loki said, turning away. "It's only been three days, right?"

Thor's nod was his only reply. Loki wiped at his face. Loki was probably overreacting, he was sure of it. Tony would call soon… He would.


	33. Five Days and Counting

By Monday, Tony still hadn't called. It's been five days. Five fucking days! Loki could hardly stand how the days were crawling by while he wondered what had happened to Tony. Couldn't Tony have left a clearer note?

Loki was dragged to school by Thor, even though Loki couldn't think of a single reason to get out of bed. But he forced himself out the covers for Thor's sake and the vague hope that Tony would soon call. Thor drove in silence while Loki stared out the window.

Finding himself once again sulking, Loki bit his lip and glanced at Thor. He shouldn't just be moping because Tony was gone for a mere five days, but he was going through withdrawal. People shouldn't leave so suddenly without giving a reason…

Thor gave him a half smile as they pulled into their school's parking lot. "We should do something after school to cheer you up," Thor said.

A genuine smile grew on Loki's face. "Sure. You can decide what we do," Loki said, opening his car door.

"I have several ideas that I think you'll like, brother," Thor said.

Loki got out of the car, closed the door, and looked over at the school. "Why is everyone staring?" Loki asked. Kids standing around the front of the school were glancing at Loki and Thor as if they were some grand spectacle.

Thor frowned. "Strange…"

Loki put on his backpack and bit his lip. "Come on. The only way to find out is to go in." Loki started walking with Thor at his side. He was filled with dread and the mocking smiles of his classmates weren't helping.

As they entered the school, people noticed them right away, whispering to each other so that Loki couldn't hear. His heart stuttered at the sudden spotlight on him. What was going on? Loki turned a dark glare on each and every one of those kids, effectively shutting them up.

They reached the intersection between the seniors' and the juniors' hallway and Thor hesitated. "Would you like me to accompany you to your locker?"

Loki shook his head, glancing down the hallway in the direction of his locker. The hallway was thick with students, so he couldn't see his own locker but he had a feeling that something horrible awaited him. He didn't want Thor to see this. "I'll see you later, Thor," he said, slipping away from his brother.

As he slunk down the hallway, the students almost seemed to part a path for him. If Loki wasn't suspicious before, he definitely was now. Before he knew it, Loki was pushing through a crowd to his locker and immediately froze.

Loki's locker was covered in pictures of his kiss with Tony. His heart thumped painfully as Loki stared at it. So, his secret was out.

"You like it, Loki?" Thanos asked, appearing through the crowd. "I thought that the whole school would love to see what you do in your free time."

Loki's face heated as he slowly turned to face the dozens of kids gathered around to laugh at his misery. He hated each and every one of them.

Pepper pushed through the crowd with a wrathful expression on her face. "What the hell is wrong with you?" she yelled at Thanos. She dug her nails under the pictures on the locker and tore them down with one swipe. "You are the most horrible cretin I've ever had the displeasure of knowing!"

Thanos laughed. "Well, half the kids knew already," he told her. "The news story went up all over the internet over the weekend! I was just helping it along here at school."

Pepper turned to Loki, touching his shoulder. "Loki, are you okay?" she said quietly. Loki's eyes shifted to her briefly.

"So where is Tony Stark, Loki?" Thanos said, forcing Loki to glare up at the boy. "He hasn't been to school in a while and I heard that someone showed up this morning to clear his locker out!"

Loki's heart skipped a beat. Tony really was gone, then. His house stood empty and now his locker was cleaned out. The only thing Loki had left of Tony was his ACDC poster and the shirt he stole from Tony's house Thursday morning.

"I bet that Tony left because he was so embarrassed to be caught kissing the stupid school psycho!"

Loki couldn't take it anymore. Throwing his backpack aside, he roared with rage and launched himself at Thanos, effectively knocking Thanos to the ground. The crowd gasped and more people gathered as the fight ensued. Loki pinned Thanos down the best he could and punched the asshole in his stupid face. A rush of pleasure tingled through his veins as his fist connected with Thanos's cheek.

Thanos groaned at the impact and bucked his body to the right, throwing Loki from his body. Loki skid across the floor on his side but he rolled and got to his feet just in time to avoid a punch from Thanos.

"So you really don't know where he is then?" Thanos laughed, taking a step back so he could taunt Loki. "He probably moved across the country to get away from a fucking loser like you."

The words hit home, leaving Loki breathless with tears pricking at his eyes. No, Tony didn't do that. He wouldn't be so cruel. Loki forced his tears back and punched Thanos in the gut. "You shut up about him," Loki growled, watching as Thanos hunched over, holding his gut.

Thanos was on him without warning. He caught Loki's shoulders in a steel grip and effectively started choking Loki in a headlock. Loki gasped for air and clawed at Thanos's arm.

"Stop it!" Pepper yelled over the noise.

Loki forced himself to focus and lurched suddenly, throwing Thanos off-balance. He took this opportunity to clamp down on Thanos's arm with his teeth. Thanos howled and dropped him.

Landing on the floor, Loki gasped with one hand at his neck. His neck felt tight, like he was still getting strangled. Pepper fell to her knees in front of Loki, putting her hands on Loki's face to look at him. She was crying, Loki realized. He hadn't seen Pepper cry since elementary school.

A bang echoed through the hall and Loki swung his head in Thanos's direction. Bucky was there pushing Thanos up against the lockers with an unhealthy rage. Steve slid into the small clearing, looking at Bucky with wide eyes. "Bucky," Steve cried, taking a step towards his friend.

But then Steve caught a glimpse of Pepper cradling Loki on the floor. Loki knew from the hot heat on his neck that a bruise was forming across his neckline. Steve's expression slammed down into utter outrage.

"What happened here?" Steve cried, curling his hands into fists. He looked ready to jump in to assist Bucky when the crowd parted and Fury appeared in the middle of their fight.

"I could ask the same thing," Fury boomed, his voice silencing all of the students. He turned and glared at the kids. "Disperse, all of you, except you five." He gestured to their small little group.

Bucky snarled at Thanos but released him, stepping back by Steve. Loki shook Pepper off and stood. He kept his distance from Thanos while his friends moved closer to him, protectively.

Suddenly Thor appeared, pushing through the students. "Is my brother okay?" Thor asked in a rush. Behind him was Jane, watching worriedly.

Fury's patience was wearing thin. "You can talk to your brother after we go to the office, Odinson," Fury said sharply. He turned and marched swiftly towards his office. The five had no choice but to follow. Loki left Thor behind, not wanting to look back to see the wounded look on Thor's face.

They reached Fury's office and they were all ushered inside. They remained standing.

"Okay, what happened?" Fury asked, standing behind his desk. The group went silent immediately. Fury sighed, already finding the whole ordeal an annoyance. "Pepper Potts, you always seem so eager to speak up. Why don't you tell me what happened?"

Anger was apparent on her face. "This happened." She held up the collage of Loki's kiss that had been hanging on his locker. Loki hadn't realized that Pepper had grabbed it.

"And what is that?" Fury asked. His eyes narrowed and flicked to Thanos.

Pepper raised her chin. "Thanos taped it to Loki's locker and taunted him about it. You see, this picture has spread on the internet and the rumor around school is that Thanos was the one to take the picture. You can't blame Loki for something like that."

Thanos glared at her, clenching his jaw. Pepper only raised an eyebrow at him, looking particularly smug.

"And what exactly were the three of you doing in this little spat between Loki and Thanos?"

"He's our friend," Steve said sternly. "We're not going to let him fight Thanos on his own."

Fury regarded Steve with a neutral expression. After a moment of silence, Fury waved them away. "The three of you can leave," Fury said.

The three hesitated, looking at Loki. "We'll see you at lunch?" Pepper asked softly.

Loki nodded, feeling pretty damn appreciative. No one has ever stuck for Loki before Tony came along. It was yet another thing Loki should be thanking Tony for.

The three left and as soon as they did, Fury turned his frown onto Thanos. "Well, anything to say for yourself?"

Thanos snorted. "I've already been caught. What else is there to say?"

Fury's glare deepened. "You should apologize to Loki."

Loki spoke up, "No, I don't want his apology. I wouldn't forgive him anyway."

Sighing, Fury rubbed his forehead. "Fine. Thanos, you can go, too. You'll have in-school suspension starting tomorrow and I'll be calling your parents."

Thanos's glare was murderous but Loki didn't turn his gaze away. He stared right back at Thanos. Thanos left the office a moment later, not saying a word to either Loki or Fury.

Now Loki was alone with Fury.

Fury sat down and leaned back in his chair, gesturing at the armchair directly across from his desk. "Loki, why don't you have a seat?"

Loki sighed, slumping down in his seat. He ignored the small headache forming at his temples. "So what, I get detention?" Loki asked. Loki had got detention for things he didn't do loads of times in his life.

"No, I think we have a few topics of greater importance to discuss… So what's the deal with those pictures?" Fury asked, looking at Loki intently.

Loki wrung his hands together. "It's really not that important."

"It must have been important if you got into a fight over it…"

He scrubbed his hand over his eyes before looking right at Fury. "Fine. It got out to the media that Tony is dating a boy and everyone here thinks it's hilarious."

"And how does Tony feel about it?"

Loki winced. "I don't really know, seeing that he moved away without telling me."

Fury looked surprised but he said nothing, watching Loki steadily.

"You wouldn't happen to know where he moved to, would you?" Loki asked. Hope flared in his chest.

Fury pressed his lips together. "I'm sorry, Loki. I only got word today that he was leaving my school, and even if I did, I wouldn't be able to tell you due to privacy agreements."

Loki deflated. "I see." Hot warmth ran down his cheek and Loki inhaled sharply, realizing that he was crying. "Crap." He smeared the tear away.

Overhead, the first bell rang, signally the five minute period before classes. "So…" Loki said shakily, wondering if he should go. He didn't really want to go to class.

"Is there anything you would like to talk about?" Fury asked suddenly.

Looking up with a frown, Loki asked, "What do you mean?"

"I may not look like it, but I used to be a counselor," Fury said. "You can tell me anything you want. I promise I won't tell."

"Aren't you going to give me some sort of punishment?"

"For what?" Fury asked. He smiled. "Now tell me about Stark. I can tell that's what's really bothering you here."

"I'm worried about him," Loki blurted out. He didn't mean to say anything but suddenly his words were flowing through him without a filter. "He left so abruptly and he didn't say anything. He just left a note…" Loki sniffed angrily. His tears had started again. What an emotional mess he was!

"A note?" Fury prompted.

Loki hesitated. This situation seemed too private to just unload on his school principal. Loki looked down at his hands, twisting them together. "He said he would call but he hasn't. It's been five days."

"If he said he would call, he probably will," Fury said. But even Fury didn't look confident with his own words.

It felt like he was sinking, Loki realized. The more people told him it would be okay, the less okay it felt. And sitting here, talking to Fury about his foolish worries was just making him worry more.

Yes, Loki wanted to believe Tony would call but really, why would Tony bother? It had been days, probably, since Tony had reached his destination. Perhaps Tony had found something better to do with his time than to worry about pathetic Loki every half second.

Loki stood abruptly, grabbing his backpack. "I've got to get to class," Loki said, his voice coming out strangled.

"Visit the nurse first," Fury said. He started to write Loki a pass. "Your neck is still red."

Loki took the pass from him and left the room in a hurry. He pressed himself against the wall of the hallway just as the second bell rang. Classes have started. Loki breathed deeply. He would wait a while longer for Tony to call, maybe a week or so, and then… Loki didn't know. If Tony didn't call him in a week, he didn't know what he would do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, what do you guys think of a sequel? I'm thinking in few more chapters that I'm going to have to start a sequel, considering where I'm heading... Who would read it?


	34. Severed Faith

After school, Thor had insisted that they go bowling. He claimed that it would ease Loki's mind. Loki didn't think so.

Thor had invited Loki's whole ragtag group of friends in addition to his own friends: Jane, Sif, and the others. Loki had dreaded spending time with Fandral and Sif, but they were surprisingly cordial. In fact, Loki had the suspicious feeling that everyone was tiptoeing around him as if to not set him off.

Loki slid his slim fingers into the holes of his red bowling ball, passing Clint on the way into position. Clint grimaced as Loki said, "That was a rather impressive gutter ball, Clint. You must show me how it's done."

Clint smirked competitively. "Don't worry, I'm just warming up."

Loki stepped onto the smooth wooden floor that led up to his lane. Aiming, Loki took his swing and the ball hurtled down the lane. His ball clattered against the pins as he made a strike. Loki's jaw dropped in surprise. He usually sucked at bowling.

He turned to Clint. "Suck on that!"

Clint looked just as shocked. "You're hustling me!"

"No," Thor answered from the next lane where he and his friends were playing. "He used to get terrible scores as a child. I remember many times where we had to put up the bumpers for Loki."

The group chortled with laughter. Loki found himself smiling. Wow, Thor was right. Maybe bowling was a good way to get his mind off of Tony… He winced, just thinking about Tony, and pushed the thought away as he went back to his seat while Steve went up to bowl next.

"Nice one," Pepper said. "I can tell I'm going to lose." She was looking up at the overhead scoreboard where Loki was already taking the lead.

"Don't worry," Loki said, sitting next to her. "You can at least beat Clint."

"I was warming up!" he protested.

"We know," Natasha said, patting his leg with a smirk on her face. "You did your best."

Clint groaned. "I hate all of you."

The group laughed. Natasha smiled and said, "Hey, guys, I forgot to tell you that I'm having a Halloween party next weekend and you're all invited. It won't be as crazy as Tony's party but it will still be fun. I'm only inviting an exclusive list."

Loki sat a little stiffer at the mention of Tony but no one else seemed to notice. "I'm thinking of going as a badass spy," Natasha continued.

"We have to wear costumes to this party?" Clint whined.

Natasha rolled her eyes. "Of course. It's a Halloween party! And don't you think about trying to get out of it." She pointed at Bucky and then Steve who had just returned from his turn. "I'm looking at you two. No getting out of dressing up! I will kick you out if you aren't wearing a costume."

Bucky looked horrified at the prospect of wearing a costume but Steve smiled. "Not a problem. I have a few ideas." He glanced fondly at Bucky.

Natasha snorted. "Geez, are you two dating yet or what?"

Both Bucky and Steve blushed immediately and decidedly looked everywhere but at each other. Pepper and Natasha laughed at them.

Pepper turned to Natasha. "Do you know what the costume is going to look like?"

Natasha pulled out her phone and opened a web browser. "Here, I'll show you." The homepage loaded and she froze, looking at it with a look of surprise. Her eyes immediately went up to Loki.

That tipped Loki off right away. "What is it?" He leaned forward to get a look at the screen but Natasha pulled it away from his view.

"Maybe, we should look at the costume another time," Natasha said. Pepper was pressing her lips together and her eyes were also on Loki.

Loki stiffly worked his jaw. "Just show it to me."

Natasha glanced at Pepper. The rest of the group looked confused and Loki noticed vaguely that no one in their group had gone up for their turn yet. The sound of Thor's laughter floated up from the next lane as he got another loud strike.

Loki stood and held out his hand. Natasha looked down at her phone briefly before holding it out to Loki. He looked at it and Clint, Steve, and Bucky leaned in close, trying to see what was on the phone.

His stomach bottomed out. On Natasha's homepage was a picture of Tony and Howard waving to a crowd. The headline read, _Tony Stark Visits NYC before Switching Schools_. Loki clicked on the link, pulling up the article. It was short and brief. It mentioned that Tony was visiting the Stark Industries headquarters with his father before he was shipped off to an undisclosed private boarding school.

Loki could feel all of his friends watching him, waiting for a reaction. He silently composed himself, internally struggling. So Tony really was leaving to a boarding school. Loki figured this would happen and he couldn't say he was surprised… But it was the smile on Tony's face in the article's picture that threw him off.

He handed the phone back to Natasha and turned to look at the scoreboard. "Pepper, it's your turn," he told her, sitting back down in his seat.

His head was spinning but he forced himself to smile, to pretend to be happy for his friends. Loki was so sick of them worrying about him. He shouldn't be worrying anyone. So Loki decided to hold it all in until later when he was alone.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Loki and Thor got home around six and Frigga immediately met them at the door. "I made dinner," she said, her eyes hopeful.

Over the last few days, Loki had been surviving on peanut butter sandwiches while he hid in his room. "I don't think so," Loki said, trying to push past her.

She grabbed onto his shirt, tugging him back gently. "Please, Loki?" she asked. Loki noticed how her bruise was finally fading but there were deep dark rings around her eyes. She looked exhausted.

Loki cursed internally. Her sad look was getting to him despite his anger. He looked to Thor who looked just as conflicted. "Fine," Loki said. He dropped his school stuff at the door and marched past her into the kitchen.

Odin was already seated at the table, digging into his lasagna. He didn't look up when Loki entered the room. Loki picked the seat the farthest away from him.

Thor sat down beside Loki and dished up his plate. Loki followed slower, watching how stiff Frigga sat down at the table and how Odin ignored his sons. This family was broken.

Thor, who seemed oblivious of this, spoke up, "Mother, father, I have something to tell you."

The whole family looked at Thor. Thor hadn't even touched his lasagna yet and that, by itself, spoke a thousand words. Whatever Thor would say next was going to be serious.

"As you know, I am graduating in the spring. I've already applied to some colleges..." Loki was surprised. Thor usually told him everything, even when Loki didn't care. "When I do go to college, though, I plan to take Loki with me."

Loki stilled. Thor had mentioned these plans only once but they hadn't talked about it since. Loki didn't remember agreeing to this. For a moment, Loki grew afraid that this was yet another thing he'd forgotten about.

"Good," Odin said gruffly. He seemed unperturbed by the idea. "That's perfectly fine."

Frigga was horrified. "No, you can't do that! Why would you even suggest such a thing?"

Thor squared his jaw. "I don't trust Loki alone with the two of you. Who knows what could happen while I'm away."

"But what will the two of you live on? Where will Loki go to school?" Frigga asked. "No, this is final, Loki's not going."

"Let the boy go," Odin said lazily. "It will be one less thing we have to pay for."

Loki flinched at Odin's words but he ground his teeth, hating that his family were deciding his future without even asking him. "That's cruel!" Frigga snapped at him.

"As if you know cruelty," Thor snapped.

"Stop!" Loki interrupted, glaring at all three of them. "Thor, I'm not going with you." His brother's expression was absolutely wounded. "Now if you excuse me, I'm not hungry."

He scraped his chair back and went to leave the room. As he exited, however, Odin said, "What a freeloader."

Loki wanted to throttle the asshole, to make him feel every bit of pain he's felt over the years, but he didn't. Instead he settled on launching himself upstairs and into his dreaded room.

The first thing he did when he reached his room was go straight to Tony's poster and he ripped it down, letting his tears spill over. He ripped it to pieces, hating everyone and everything. Once it was in shreds, Loki let his eyes graze over the rest of his room. His eyes landed on Tony's ACDC shirt. He took it and went to his dresser, shoving it down into the back of his deepest drawer. He dropped to floor after that, feeling numb.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Over the next few days, Loki refused to go to school. Nothing Thor or Frigga said would get him out of bed. He wasn't in the mood and they weren't going to make him. The count had reached eight days since he had last heard from Tony. Loki felt his world slipping back into pre-Tony days and it hurt. Tony had been like a beacon of hope in this crap town. Now he was gone and hadn't made an effort in contacting him. Loki knew that he had said that he would only a week for Tony, but he couldn't stop hoping Tony would call.

It was Thursday. Thor was at school, Frigga was at work, but Loki realized Odin was not. He could hear the brute's heavy footsteps in the kitchen downstairs.

Suddenly all of Loki's pain and misery built up and he pulled himself out of bed, angry. He was aching for a fight and he was determined to have one.

Downstairs, Loki walked right into the kitchen to find Odin leaning against the counter, drinking a glass of water. Loki glared at him and Odin watched him with a curious look in his eye. "Need something?" Odin asked.

Loki shook. He didn't really know what to say, so he just stared, curling his hands into fists. Odin noticed this immediately. "What? You want to beat up your old man? Go on, try it. Try to throw a punch. But don't expect that I won't return it."

Adrenaline rushed through him. He wanted nothing more than to take Odin up on his offer but he found that he couldn't move.

Odin taunted him, "Come on. Do it!" He waited. The room buzzed with tension. "Can't do it? I always knew that you were a worthless wimp."

The words fueled Loki's anger. Loki narrowed his eyes, trying to think of a good way to attack the man who had abused him through his 16 years of life. But once again, he found he couldn't move.

Odin stepped towards him and bent down so that he was at Loki's eye level. "You've always been weak, you know that? You used to clutch to your mother's skirts as a baby and you still do. You're nothing more than a whiney, petulant child that's been nothing more than a pain in my ass!"

Loki threw both of his hands out, pushing Odin with all of his strength. Odin fell back a few steps before regaining his balance, laughing. He promptly pushed Loki back and the force has Loki slamming against the fridge. Magnets showered over Loki as he stumbled to the kitchen floor.

"Get up," Odin growled. Loki stared defiantly up at Odin. His father grew impatient and yanked at Loki's arm. "Get up!" Odin lifted him to his feet by his arm in an impossibly strong grip and Loki hissed at the painful pressure. Odin let go and Loki yanked his arm away, staring at the angry red marks on his arm.

Loki glared. His arm was throbbing from being pulled on. He was sure that this would bruise. "Geez, fuck," Loki said, looking at the bright red splotches. They weren't fading.

Odin watched him with tight eyes. "Go back to your room."

Loki stayed put. "Make me."

"Now you're asking for it," Odin said.

Loki moved out of the way just as Odin reached for him. Odin caught him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him back. Loki resisted, wincing at the pressure on his throat. Suddenly Odin let go and Loki was sent tumbling to the floor, on his hands and knees. He stood up and spun to face Odin.

Odin pointed upstairs. "Go. Before I do something worse."

Reluctantly, Loki turned and disappeared up the stairs, collapsing into his bed. He didn't feel any better. In fact, his anger had increased.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Loki woke up to Thor shaking him. "Thor, geez, what is it?" Loki said, shifting unhappily under his covers.

"You wouldn't wake up when I tried yelling at you," Thor said. "Did you sleep all day?"

Loki sat up, thinking. He frowned, realizing he didn't know what he did at all. "I must've slept," Loki said. He rubbed his eyes, blearily.

Thor grabbed his arm to examine it. "Where did you get this?" Thor demanded.

Loki winced from Thor's grip and looked down. There was a bruise, vaguely in the shape of a hand, on the top of his right arm. Now that Loki noticed it, the bruise throbbed. Loki turned it from side to side, confused. "I don't know where I got it," he said. "I don't remember."

That didn't change the look on Thor's face. He stood and marched out of the hallway, yelling, "Odin!"

Loki didn't bother following. He was too concerned with the sudden appearance of the bruise. He was forgetting things. Loki couldn't deny it any more.

Going to his desk, Loki opened a drawer and rummaged through until he found a clean notebook and a pen. Fervently, Loki began to furiously write down tons of facts from the last few days. Things he would want to remember in case he forgot.

He didn't want to forget.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The count had reached two weeks on the following Wednesday. That's when Loki gave up. Frigga and Thor had forced him to go to school this week and he didn't enjoy a single second of it. It seemed that the joke of Loki and Tony's kiss was still circulating around the school. People whispered about it behind his back.

He began to withdraw into himself. He skipped lunch in favor of sitting at the top of the bleachers in the freezing October air. Loki avoided his friends at all costs.

It was Wednesday night, while Loki stared at his bedroom ceiling, that he hatched a grand plan. He would disappear, _permanently_.

He dragged out a small duffle bag and began throwing things into it. Mostly clothes but also a few other things, like the first Harry Potter book and his hand-written notebook of things to remember. Small indulgences…

The last thing Loki went to grab was Tony's ACDC shirt. He sifted through the bottom of the dresser in search for it. When he found it, he shoved it unceremoniously into the bag without a second glance.

No one needed him. They really didn't. His friends wouldn't miss him; they were fine without him two months ago. Thor was going to college and should be worrying about himself. Odin could care less and Frigga would manage. And Tony, well, he was somewhere else now where he could forget about Loki.

Loki was sure that it would be fine.

He found his stash of money that he saved up over the years. It was a small amount; 500 dollars, but it would have to do. He pocketed it and stood.

Loki laced on his shoes and grabbed a jacket. Finally he was prepared. Lastly, he went about writing one last note for Thor. It wasn't going to be some half-assed note like Tony had given him. No. This would tell Thor exactly what he needed to know.

It had been two weeks since Tony had left and for the first time since then, Loki felt a weight lifting off his shoulders. He was leaving and never looking back. He would forget about this place.

Loki would be happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would have updated yesterday but it was my birthday and there was many birthday things to do! I hope you enjoyed the chapter. (Tony's in the next chapter!)


	35. Gone

Tony Stark sat in the back of his limo, bouncing his leg and wringing his hands into the jacket he wore. His new private school in Virginia required him to wear basically a suit. He wore a slim, sleek black jacket over a white dress shirt with black pants and shoes. Tony had taken the liberty of discarding his tie and unbuttoning his shirt. He didn't want to look like his father.

He ground his teeth as he stared out the window, refusing to look at his father who was sitting on the other side of the limo. Howard had insisted on accompanying him to his new school, claiming to be moral support but Tony knew that he was just making sure Tony made it to the school without running away. It wouldn't be the first he'd tried!

It's been over three weeks since Tony had last seen Loki and he was dying. His boredom was constant and his worry for Loki was insane. Howard took away his laptop and phone to keep Tony from contacting his friends. It was frustrating.

All he wanted to do was slip away from Howard and take a bus back to Illinois so he could return to that crappy town in the middle of nowhere and just sit on his car with Loki. A faint smile graced his face as he thought of Loki.

But now he was stuck in Virginia without any way of communicating with Loki. If Tony could just get in contact with Pepper, he could get Thor's number from her and thus talk to Loki. He just needed to find the chance!

Howard had taken every precaution with Tony. He instructed body guards to be around Tony at all times, held all communication devices out of reach, and kept Tony occupied by dragging him around New York City for more than a week and a half.

The limo slowed and Tony stilled his leg, sitting up a little straighter. Tony really didn't want to go to this new school. In fact, Tony hated it on the spot. The front of the private school was gloomy and dark, or maybe it was because it was a cloudy day, and the building towered over the front grounds. Tony had to admit that the school was well kept; a giant green garden filled the court yard at the entrance. But judging by the snotty kids walking around, Tony knew he would hate it here.

"Come along, Tony," Howard said, sliding out the door.

Tony followed slowly, casting a weary glance around the campus. "Should I grab my things?"

"No, we'll have them sent up," Howard said. "First, let's go get your registration finalized."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He was moving in to his dorm on a Sunday, so that meant that there were no classes today, but what it mean was that Tony was going to be forced to hang out with his dorm mate and set up his room. He watched as his body guards carried everything into his room, setting them down at random. Tony felt a little guilty for not carrying his own stuff.

Howard placed a hand on Tony's shoulder and he had to force himself not to pull away from his father. "You'll like it here," Howard said.

Tony nodded, pretending to agree.

"And you can forget about that boy."

Once again, Tony nodded. He was determined to ignore his father to the very end of this. He hated what his father had done to him and Loki.

"That's the last of it," one of Howard's men said.

Howard smiled. "Well, this looks like that's it, Tony. See you at Christmas."

Tony gave a short nod, looking his father in the eye for only a brief moment. Howard patted him twice on the shoulder and then walked away, being followed by his body guards. Tony sighed, leaning back against the wall in front of his room, watching his father go.

Once he was out of sight, Tony turned back towards his room, avoiding the gazes of other guys in the hallway. He entered his room, closing the door behind him, and looked at his side of the room. It was empty and bare, so he supposed he should get started at unpacking.

First, Tony looked at his roommate's side. This side belonged to James Rhodes. James's side of the room was typical for a guy, but what stood out were his army paraphernalia and the many posters of cars.

The door opened behind him and Tony turned towards it. It was a boy, Tony's age, with dark skin, dark hair, and strong arms. His bulging muscles practically put Tony's to shame. He wore even less of his uniform than Tony. Like Tony, he had unbuttoned his white dress shirt, but he had completely ditched the jacket. Suddenly Tony knew that he was going to like the kid.

"You must be Tony Stark," James said.

"And you must be James—"

"Nope, I'd rather you called me Rhodey."

Tony grinned. "Sure," he said, stepping back to his own side of his room, taking a look at his boxes. He wished Loki was here to help him. Loki was way more organized than he was.

Rhodey passed him and flopped down on his bed, watching Tony. "Everyone's talking about you around school. They're excited that Stark Industries' famous Tony Stark has decided to grace our humble school with his presence."

"It's hardly humble," Tony said, looking over his shoulder at Rhodey. Tony's eyes widened when he noticed Rhodey take out his cell phone. Oh, sweet technology! He hadn't seen a cell phone in weeks. "You have a phone!" Tony practically yelled at Rhodey.

Rhodey frowned at him, amused. "Yeah, I have a phone. It's pretty common these days."

"You don't understand," Tony said. "My ass of a father took mine away three weeks ago and I've been dying to get a hold on a phone since then! Can I use it? I have to call Loki."

Tony hadn't even realized that he'd blurted out Loki's name until Rhodey held out his phone for Tony and said, "Is that the kid you were kissing all over the news?"

Tony hadn't seen much of the news about himself since his father cut him off from technology, so he hadn't realized how far the news had reached. But apparently even the kids at this school had seen his kiss with Loki.

"Yeah," Tony said softly, taking the phone. He looked away from Rhodey, not wanting to linger on the subject, and instead focused on dialing Pepper's number. He held the phone to his ear, barely breathing as the phone rang a total of four times. Pepper picked up on the last ring.

"Hello?" she answered.

Tony wanted to cry at the sound of her voice. "Pepper," he said softly.

Pepper breathed in sharply. "Oh my god, Tony?" There was a brief pause and a shuffle of the phone. "Geez, Tony! Where the hell have you been?" Her tone was sharp.

"Pep," Tony said desperately. "How's Loki?"

"Oh, Tony," she said. Tony didn't like the sad, pitying tone in her voice. He swallowed hard as his fear flared stronger than ever.

Tony glanced at Rhodey before turning away and sitting on his bed, facing the wall. "Actually, forget about it, Pep. Just give me Thor's number. I need to talk to Loki."

"Tony, there's something you should probably know…"

"No, just give me Thor's number. I don't want to hear anything you have to say. I want to hear it all directly from Loki. Now give me Thor's number."

"But—"

"Pep, please." His voice came out strained. There was something wrong. It was clear enough from the way Pepper was talking to him and it made Tony all the more desperate to talk to Loki, to make sure everything was okay.

She sighed and the phone rustled again. "Fine," she breathed out. "Give me a second." The phone went quiet as she checked for the number. Tony's heart thumped in his chest.

"Okay," she said, finally coming back onto the phone. "Write this down." She read off some numbers, which Tony wrote onto a post-it note with a pen.

"Thanks," he said when he had all ten digits.

"Tony," she said, stopping him from hanging up that second. "Promise me you'll call after you talk to Thor?"

"After I talk to Loki," he corrected her.

There was a pause. "Promise me."

"Okay, okay! I promise. Can I call Loki now?"

"Thanks Tony," she said softly.

"Bye," he said shortly and he hung up without waiting for a reply. Tony braced his thumb on the first digit of Thor's number and briefly looked over at Rhodey. The guy was lying back on his bed, holding a book directly above him in the air. He was attempting to give Tony some privacy. Tony felt a rush of gratitude.

Tony turned back to the phone and dialed slowly. The phone rang twice. "Hello?" Thor answered.

Once again, Tony felt relief washing over him as he heard another familiar voice. "Thor, it's me," Tony said, trying to keep his voice steady.

Thor paused. "Tony?"

"Yeah, it's me buddy," Tony said with a smile.

"What happened to you? Where have you been?" Thor sounded angry and it took Tony by surprise. This wasn't what he had expected.

"Howard forced me to go to this private school in Virginia," Tony explained. "He took away my laptop, cell phone, everything. I couldn't get in contact with anyone for weeks! But now I'm using my roommate's phone." He glanced at Rhodey who was purposefully reading his book. "It took forever but I finally have a way to talk. Is Loki near you? Can you put him on the phone?"

"I'm sorry," Thor said quietly. Tony couldn't breathe. "Tony, I'm so sorry… Loki ran away."

"What?' Tony asked sharply.

"He ran away about a week ago. I think he went to Ohio."

"Ohio?" Tony repeated, incredulous. "That doesn't make sense! What's in Ohio? Why would he go there?"

"I believe Ohio is where his birth parents live. I think he went to find them." Thor's voice was flat, practically lifeless.

Tony's brain wasn't working properly. He frowned, trying to make sense of everything. "But why did he go? This doesn't make any sense! Is there a way to get in contact with him?"

Thor's phone crackled as Thor moved. "He left this letter. Should I read it?"

Tony nodded. After a second or two, he realized Thor couldn't see him, so he cleared his throat and said, "Read it."

Thor began to read:

 

_Thor,_

_When you find this, I'll already be gone. I took a bus out of town and I'm going to see my parents. My real parents. You shouldn't worry about me, Thor. I have enough money for a while and I've been saving up for something like this. So don't worry about me. You've already done enough. You should focus on school and Jane and getting into college. It's better this way, I promise. I'm not going to be a burden on you or anyone else anymore…_

_I love you, Thor._

_And if you do hear from Tony, tell him not to worry either. Both of you can move on with your lives now without me. You're better off. You won't miss me after a while…_

_You can also tell him that I love him. I didn't get to tell him that before he left._

_And please don't look for me. It's my turn to disappear._

_-Loki_

 

Thor finished reading it and sighed unhappily. "He's gone, just like he said."

Tony breathed shallowly. This couldn't be happening right now; not when he finally got a way to talk to Loki! "Why would he leave? I told him I would call!"

"It's been three weeks," Thor hissed. "He was suffering, Tony."

"It's not my fault I didn't call earlier!" Tony snapped at Thor. "There was no way to call him before this, believe me."

"It doesn't matter either way because he's already gone!" Thor yelled. Thor breathed hard as if he were trying to contain his anger. "Look. Loki was being bullied again at school after you left and that only added more stress. He was already devastated by your absence and he didn't understand why you left. Your note was pretty crappy, Stark!"

"Well I didn't think Loki would run away!"

"Odin hit him again," Thor said quietly.

Tony was blinking away tears now. "Odin did what?"

"Odin did something to Loki's arm but Loki couldn't remember why. Loki's losing memories, Stark, and now he's out there somewhere with no one to help him. What if he forgets where he is? What will he do then? What if someone takes advantage of him?" Tony knew that Thor was just venting his anger and fear onto Tony but it still hurt, like this was somehow Tony's fault.

"Is anyone looking for him?"

"No," Thor said flatly. "Odin and Frigga just informed the school that Loki had moved away to stay with a cousin. They un-enrolled him from school, like he isn't ever coming back. They're acting as if he's dead."

Tony bit his lip, blinking back tears. "What if he doesn't come back?"

"We have to look for him," Thor said. "Loki went to Ohio, I'm sure of it. We have to look!"

"I'll help any way I can," Tony said immediately. They had to find Loki. Tony had to tell him he loved him one more time, to make sure Loki knew he cared. He didn't like the way Loki wrote about himself in that letter.

Thor sighed. "I will call you later with any news or anything we can do to find him. Can I call you back on this line?"

Tony glanced over at Rhodey. He had abandoned his book and was watching Tony intently. Tony hesitated briefly before asking, "If my friend wants to call me on your phone… would that be okay?"

"It's fine," Rhodey said, giving Tony a half smile.

"Yeah, you can call me on this number," Tony answered Thor, looking away from his roommate. "And Thor? I don't care what we have to do… We have to find him." Tony wouldn't know what he would do if Loki just disappeared forever. It was a thought that burned deep through his heart.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Loki's eyes were half-closed and his head pounded with exhaustion. It wasn't a headache borne of his head injury, but rather one of lack of sleep. He'd spent days traveling to Ohio. Granted, it wasn't that far to get to Ohio from Illinois, but he had stopped often, switching buses, trying to take the cheap route all the way to Ohio. Traveling across the few states was costing him more than he'd expected. Out of his 500 dollars, he'd already spent more than 300. But he was finally arriving in a town where he believed his real parents lived.

The bus pulled into a station, signally Loki to wake his self up fully and prepare to return to his search. The bus came to a complete stop and Loki stood, grabbed his bag from the overhead storage and swung it onto his back. He walked down the narrow aisle and left the bus without making eye contact with anyone.

The bus driver had been keeping his eye on Loki for the last day and a half, since he'd gotten on. He must've looked too young to be on the bus alone. He told the man he was 18, but he never fully believed Loki. At least it was somewhat close to his age. He was turning 17 in a few days.

He stepped off the bus and the early November wind howled, immediately blowing through Loki's jacket. An instant chill settled over Loki. Usually cold didn't bother him that much, but out here alone in the falling leaves, Loki felt more cold than he'd ever felt in his life.

Loki headed for the bus station, briefly glancing down at his hand. On his hand, in thick black ink, was the address he was supposed to be looking for. He also had the address in his bag, but the reason he had on his hand is because three days back, Loki had forgotten how and why he was in a motel room. He'd woken alone and afraid.

His damn memory.

So he'd written the address onto his hand to remind himself often of where he was going. He tried not to think about his memory loss again after that.

Loki headed for the office of the bus station. There was a woman at the front desk and he approached her. "Do you know how to get to Warren Street?" Loki asked.

She looked up in surprise; she clearly hadn't noticed him approach her desk. "Aren't you a little too young to be traveling alone?" she asked suspiciously.

"I'm seeing my Dad now," Loki told her. "I live with my mother. They just got a divorce, so my Dad moved. I'm here to see him." The lie rolled off his tongue easily.

She still looked suspicious. "It's not far from here," she said. She pointed to the left of her office. "Go five blocks south, I think."

Loki nodded and thanked her. He left quickly before she could get any more suspicious. The walk wasn't long, just as she said, and he reached the street where his parents were supposed to live.

He walked by each house, squinting at the numbers as they got higher and closer to the house number he was looking for. Finally he found the house. He stopped and stared, standing on the edge of the curb to stare up at it. The house was a Victorian style home, painted a very pale purple. There wasn't a fence, but the house was surrounded by flowers. There were a few cars parked in the driveway.

From Loki's view, he could see the outline of people moving inside the home. It was getting dark out, so he was sure that they couldn't see him, but he could see them. Inside this home were his real parents, and maybe even some of his brothers.

He inhaled deeply, trembling, and checked his hand again, making sure the address was the same. Did he dare go and ring the doorbell? If he did, what would he say? What would they say? He really had no idea.

Loki felt sick. He didn't know if the feeling was due to excitement or fear. A mix of both was brewing in his veins. It was a whirlwind of emotions.

Should he do it?

He breathed out and blew his warm breath into his numb fingers. God, he didn't know if he could do it.

Loki stood out there, for what felt like hours, and still didn't know. He just couldn't move.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! Thank you for sticking with me through this whole story and I'm glad you enjoyed it thus far! This installment is complete, but stay tuned for the sequel, _Deprived of Mind_. Thanks again to everyone who said they wanted a sequel!


End file.
